Violate Me
by CalKJ
Summary: [A hard T-rating] Somehow, Sora is forgotten. His friends don't even recall his name. Kairi admits to having dreams about him and wants to know more, like why everything connected to this boy has faded away. She meets a man with a similar issue; his wife has vanished much in the same way Sora has. If they work together, perhaps remembrance won't be far off. But the enemy is near.
1. Predator vs Prey

**A/N:** This is a story about rape.

**Chapter 1: Predator vs. Prey**

Already, I could sense red flags shooting off in the sky. Speaking of the sky, the sun wasn't nearly low enough to warrant the end of practice. Huddled together with my fellow Destiny High teammates, I stared with horror into the scheming light green eyes of our cheer coach. There was no way that chanting, frolicking, back-flipping coach of mine was about to conclude today's practice this early. She had to be planning something completely awful…

"Good work today, girls," Coach Edea Kramer addressed them all. "You showed a lot of hustle and spirit today, and I just wanna say…"

_Oh, just hurry up and get to the kicker!_ I scream internally, ignoring most the heartfelt speech.

"…And so, we're gonna conclude today's practice a little early." Before she was interrupted by a ton of different cheers of approval, Coach Kramer added, "BUT…we're going to use the remaining time to play…"

I could already sense what was coming. Slowly, I mouth three syllables, _"Kuh-rap-puh."_

"Predator vs. Prey!" Coach Kramer couldn't have announced it with more glee.

Some cheered in excitement. Many, including my cynical, redheaded self, groaned in agitation.

Quickly, Selphie went for my right arm, claiming me as an early teammate. I read the look in Selphie's eyes, letting out a sigh as I put on my game face. Now, it was time for two things: seek and destroy.

To give a basic rundown, Predator vs. Prey is a game of dodgeball with a twist; one side, the three "predators," start out with possession of the blitzballs while the other team, the "prey," oversees protecting each other. If the predators can bypass the other team's defense and tag one of the prey, they'd score a point. Conversely, the prey can catch or even steal balls from the predators, in which case they'd have an opportunity to tag out the attacking team.

Every round of the game ends with either all the prey being tagged out or if they manage to tag out the opposing predators. I particularly hated this game because it was played on a wide-open field with no place to hide. In fact, I hated it for many reasons, including the fact that running wasn't my strong suit (see: Kingdom Hearts One, Destiny Islands Prologue Cutscene).

As soon as the game started, I found myself playing the role of "prey" yet again. Being a target, I'd watch my teammates fall victim to the other team's blitzkrieg-tactic of aggressively removing our defense.

Standing behind a cluster of my fellow prey-turned-defenders, I complained, "Yeah, if one of you could catch a blitzball soon, that'd be great—"

One of the girls retorted, "It's not our fault they keep aiming low—!"

SLAM! A ball collided into said girl's shin bone.

"Cherry-picker," the girl growled, taking her leave to the sidelines.

Selphie, the last defender besides myself, rushed to my aid, lightheartedly remarking, "Why does this scene look so familiar?"

Kairi frowned. "Well, let's see. You and I are the last defenders, and—"

SLAM-SLAM-SLAM-SLAM-SLAM-SLAM-SLAM-SLAM!

"—and we just got bombarded by the other side again." Reason five hundred why I hated this game. The tougher girls loved to team up on me, utilizing more than one blitzball.

Needless to say, my turn as the predators did not go so smoothly, either. My team had trouble with throwing and keeping any control of the balls. Unable to capitalize on our chance to score, my team lost zero to three.

"_Big whoop."_

* * *

**-X-**

"C'mon, it was better than gettin' hit by other kinds of balls!" Selphie had been waiting to drop that quip since we hit the locker room.

"I'm not so sure." I enjoyed making my slut-level ambiguous.

"Spoken like an undercover dong-lover." Again, Selphie had been waiting to unleash that one.

Just then, as we exited the girls' locker room, we heard a rowdy commotion near the boys' side.

"You wanna talk about _my_ coaching?! You really wanna go there?!"

It was already after school, so hearing this commotion was especially attention-grabbing. There, stumbling out the locker room was Wakka, apparently on the receiving end of his coach's wrath. Wakka, however, had some raw anger of his own to dish out.

"Why don't you quit showing up drunk to practice, you sad little scumbag?!" Wakka howled in rage, right before receiving another hard shove.

Pushing his enraged student into a wall, the coach shouted back, "You don't get to tell me how to coach when you can't even score ONE goal all game!"

"Yeah, 'cuz I'm too busy aiming for your plastered face—!"

Taking Wakka around the throat, the coach frothed, "What d'ya say to me you little—?"

That's when I had seen enough. Darting out from mine and Selphie's hiding spot, I shouted, "HEY! Just leave him alone!"

Glaring sidelong at me, Coach What's-His-Face growled back, "Get lost—right now!"

Standing there, defiant, I utter back to him, "Leave. Wakka. Alone."

Breaking free from the madman's grasp, Wakka added with a grimace, "Why don't you keep your sweaty little paws off me, ya?"

Just then, Selphie came rushing over with the principal in unbreakable tow. Pointing at the busted blitzball coach, Selphie reported, "There! Kairi saw the whole thing!"

"Unbelievable," said Principal Garland, glaring daggers. "I can smell the alcohol from here! You're getting fired today, pal—and I'll have the school board press charges on you. What a disgrace!"

Punching a wall, the disgraced blitzball coach stormed out the nearby door, hollering swears for the outside world to hear.

Meanwhile, the principal scoffed, "What a moron. Wakka, are you okay?"

"Never better, now that the egomaniac just ousted himself." Smirking, Wakka was back to being himself again.

Addressing all three teenagers at once, Principal Garland stated, "We'll need to make a statement. All of you, follow me."

* * *

**-X-**

Later that day, as the sun began setting low, I returned to my humble abode, a not-so humble mansion-sized palace of paradise fit for a political figure's family. Entering through the twin front doors, I was greeted with a dimly lit hallway and the sound of telephone-negotiations.

Exhaustion laden in my voice, I announce myself, "I'm home!"

My father, the mayor, poked his head from his office, throwing me a smile and never missing a beat in his phone-conversation. Migrating to the kitchen, I greeted my mother, "Hey, mom."

"Hey yourself," the mayor's wife, a perpetually beautiful woman, replied. "I hope you remembered what we discussed the other day."

"Uh…something about a business trip in the mountains?"

"That's right. Tomorrow, your father has an important meeting with the Mining Corps on the southwest side. Then, the very next day, he'll be chatting with the Lumber Company even further south. Then after that, there's even more meetings in more boring places. Needless to say, he's going to be crazy-busy all weekend."

With a snarky tone, I added, "And the two of you decided to turn it into a weekend getaway. Also, I'm a little confused as to why you're accompanying him when it's _his_ business trip?"

Before taking a sip of wine, my mother smiled and said, "Moral support."

"Got it, so how long will I have the house to myself?"

"Starting tomorrow night, seven days, so we'll be back next Tuesday."

"_Whoa_—that's more than a weekend getaway! You two are going on vacation!" I start twiddling my thumbs. "So, do you mind if I—?"

"No parties," the mayor's wife quickly rejected. "No more than two friends at a time, got that?"

_Oh, well. That's better than nothing._ "Fine. Cool with me."

"And remember—no boys. And no smoking either. Also, no drinking, no animals, and no wandering around town while we're gone."

Just then, my mother looks up to see her adoptive daughter already checking out of the conversation, now tiptoeing up the staircase.

* * *

**-X- **

"Hey, what gives?" I complained, cranky as all heck due to a bright light screwing with my slumber. Rubbing the haziness from my crusty eyelids, I yawned and dared to block the light with my hand. However, just as soon as the light appeared, it left without a trace. "Geez, someone kill the lights…uh?"

I was floating in bliss. My surroundings appeared to be somewhere in the Lanes Between, the same plane of existence my Gummi ship travels. With a little flailing around and guess work, I managed to float to an upright position, where I spotted two nearby worlds ahead of me. Even though it was hard to distinguish which one was closer, I could clearly tell that those worlds were in fact not worlds at all but _actual giant heads._

Giant heads. Of my two comrades, Donald and Goofy.

"Whoa. This is bizarre."

If it weren't for the fact that those giant toon heads were visibly sleeping at the moment, I might've had a panic attack right there on the spot.

"What is this?" I looked from side-to-side, seeing numerous stars in endless space. "Where am I?"

"Hey, now! Who goes there?" said a familiar voice.

Looking above, I spotted a certain cricket journalist slowly descending over me. Awash with relief, I said, "Jiminy! Boy, am I glad to see you!"

"Hey, Sora!" Jiminy exclaimed, stopping just in front of my nose. "Right back at ya, but I sure wish I knew where we were!"

"Yeah, this is weird. I've got no clue how we got here," I admitted with a sheepish expression. Going into thinking mode, I tried recalling a few things. "The last thing I remember is…chasing Pluto, and then some kind of castle? Clearly, something weird happened to us. I mean, look at Donald and Goofy!"

Apparently just noticing the planet-sized heads of Donald and Goofy, Jiminy Cricket yelped, "Yowzers! As if those two weren't hard to miss already!"

"I got an idea," I said. "Check your journal, Jiminy! There's bound to be something in there that could help us!"

"Excellent thinking." Whipping out his handy, dandy notebook, Jiminy proceeded to stare in awe at the blank pages inside. "It's empty! How could this happen? Every entry I've ever written has up and vanished!"

"No way…" That's when I looked down at my outfit, noticing it had shrank since the last time I saw it. "This is all so confusing."

Suddenly, the bright light from earlier once again blinded us. Rapidly, I could feel my head spin as my surroundings appeared to change, equally engulfed in the mysterious light. Guarding my eyes, I let out an anguished shout as I experience the feeling of falling.

And just like that, I felt my rear-end hit terra-firma, signifying the conclusion of the light show. After reopening my eyes, I found myself sitting upright on a patch of grass overlooking a steep gulch. It was nighttime wherever I'd ended up, and in the distance, I could make out a giant castle estate completely surrounded by trees.

Just then, I heard a soft whimpering beside me.

"I hate this…. Please, Sora, I need you to forgive me. I won't forget about you again."

I looked over to my right, gaping at the source of the familiar voice. However, the person's appearance did not match his voice. It was…Ansem. Wearing some sort of black coat. But…he spoke with Riku's voice.

"What the…?" I reached out to the mysterious man in black. "Ansem? No…"

My hand passed right through his shoulder. However, the moment my hand breached his form, the man's appearance seemed to glitch, undergoing static interference before shifting into someone else entirely.

"Riku!" I cried.

Riku, no longer Ansem, was sitting with his head buried in his arms. His face was visibly moist from tears.

Desperately, I tried talking to him, "Riku. What's wrong? Why are you wearing that black coat?"

Riku didn't answer. He simply stared up into the night sky, prompting Jiminy to jump up to my shoulder and speculate, "Gee, it's like we're ghosts. Say, you don't remember…dying, do ya?"

"I'm not sure of anything right now," I responded hopelessly. But, looking at Riku, I smiled. "At least Riku's okay. I remember closing the door to Kingdom Hearts, and Riku and King Mickey were trapped inside. Maybe this means they found a way out!"

Scratching his cricket chin, Jiminy surmised, "Could be. If so, maybe we should go looking for the king while we're ghoulin' around."

"Wait, Jiminy. I just have this weird feeling that…Riku's been gone for a long time. I hardly recognize him."

Sitting cross-legged on my shoulder, Jiminy relented, "Yeah, this is a pickle, all right."

Suddenly, Riku said aloud to himself, "Everyone's better off without me. Kairi, Sora…" He shrugged. "Well, that's everyone. This is all because I went to the darkness. But I'll use the darkness to help bring you back, Sora. I promise not to fail you."

That last bit startled Jiminy and I, the former fretting, "Gee, maybe we really are dead?"

"It can't be…" I soon fell into denial. "No way we're dead. I don't even remember how we—"

Another flash of light engulfed the scene, disorienting our supposedly dead selves.

"Not this again!" Jiminy cried amid the light show.

As both our heads began spinning, we experienced the feeling of drowsiness, unable to control our eyelids from shutting before we totally dozed off.

The last thing I remembered was muttering to myself, "Why do I have this feeling…something awful's gonna happen…?"


	2. Flesh is Calling

**A/N:** This is a story that deals with a very sensitive theme known as sexual assault.

**Chapter 2: Flesh is Calling**

I didn't know that I was dreaming. But his face always told me I might be.

There, he stood before me. The welcome sight of his spiky hair and soft eyes was soothing. Shining behind his head was the sun, obscuring my view of his partially smiling face. I could sense he was seconds away from disappearing, but I still had to reach out to him…

The morning sunlight interrupted my dream. The first thing I looked at was my alarm clock, which was clearly left on silent.

"Shoot. Late again."

After some lurid scrambling to fetch my outfit and hygiene, I suddenly stopped by my vanity mirror, gazing at a photograph of me and Riku at our play island. I stopped, noticing something ominous for the first time.

"What the…?"

The image was partially off-center, as if a third person was supposed to be in the shot. Although it was just the two of us, that empty space beside me seemed to be missing something. There were other pictures of me and my friends, but none of the others piqued my curiosity quite like this one.

I brushed it aside, dumping my books in my handbag. "I gotta get going!"

* * *

**-X-**

Pacing through the now empty hallways of Destiny Senior High, I rapidly typed on my cellphone:

"_Distract her until I get there!"_

Selphie, using the same messenger app from afar, texted back:

"_Too late. She already started :/"_

Selphie sent another one:

"_You know you're one of the last in roll call, so hurry up :P"_

With a smug look, I typed back—

"Oof!" I grunted, bumping face-first into a teacher's chest.

The teacher, dressed in the usual blue and white suit, crossed his arms and decided to chastise me. "Young lady, you'd better have a hall pass."

Something about this teacher's hair style caused me to stare. It was short, brown, and spiked like a Chocobo's tail. I had seen it before, somewhere on someone's head, but who and where?

"Well?" the teacher persisted.

"Uh…" I just laughed sheepishly. "I must've dropped it?"

"You're coming with me," he said, becoming my guide to the opposite direction. "And put that cellphone away. You know the rules."

Mouthing a swear, I followed who I presumed to be the new hall monitor, noticing the guy wasn't terribly familiar to me. Lagging slightly behind the taller male, I did my best to place a name on this guy but to no avail. Still, this no-name stickler was causing me to run even later to class, so I couldn't help but slip my thumb to my nose and silently blow a raspberry at the back of his head.

Opening the door to the office, the teacher commanded, "Through here. Collect your tardy slip and get to class."

I walked in and visibly groaned at the group of adults idling around. Then, without thinking, I said, "Principal Garland…top of the morning to you!"

"Late again, Miss Kairi?" Garland noted with a condescending look. "Isn't it high time you took some responsibility and got here on time?"

Nerves already a barren wasteland of patience, I smirked and said, "You know, I was just thinking the exact same thing! How about I start by going back home to catch a good night's sleep?"

The principal's posse of office aides all erupted in "oohs" and cat-growls to commemorate my smart-aleck response. Meanwhile, Principal Garland rolled his eyes and said, "A golden sense of humor as usual, Miss Kairi. You know, you're just lucky you caught me in a good mood. Now take your tardy slip and get to class!"

* * *

**-X-**

"So, have you seen the new coach for your team, yet?" Selphie asked Tidus.

Shaking his head in disbelief, Tidus remarked, "Selphie, they just fired the old coach yesterday. What makes you think they found a brand new one in less than a day's time?"

At the moment, I was using my time in first period wisely, choosing to get a head start on my homework rather than gossip with Selphie and Tidus.

"I'm telling you, I saw the guy chatting with Garland this morning about the job. He sounded like he knew what he was talking about…Oh, and not to mention he's a total hottie!"

That's when I paused my algebra.

Tidus groaned. "Oh, great—I can tell you're about go into vivid detail about—"

"He's got piercing blue eyes, chestnut brown hair, a rugged five o'clock shadow, and all kinds of muscle under his slammin' blue suit."

Analyzing Selphie's highly detailed profile description, I had the urge to blurt out, "Wait a minute—that's the guy who counted me tardy this morning!"

"Aw, no way! You got to follow him to the office? What did his traps look like?"

I scoffed. "Well, for one I wasn't looking at his traps. He did have interesting hair, though…"

Selphie scoffed right back. "Hair, really? Tell me you saw how sculpted his glutes were, at least!"

"Trust me, I'm more than happy to let you figure that out for yourself, Selphie."

* * *

**-X-**

The end of the day was nearing, and I was on my way to cheerleading practice, roaming the hallways yet again at a leisurely pace. Rounding the corner for the school's athletic wing, I stopped abruptly at the sight of the new coach. He was facing away from me, analyzing a list of blitzball players on a bulletin board.

He must have sensed my presence a few feet behind him, for he perked up a bit before turning around. Now that he wasn't on hall patrol, he seemed a lot less bossy and more amicable. Judging by the way he greeted me brightly, it's almost like he'd been waiting for me. "Oh, it's you again. Sorry if I came off rude earlier. I was just looking after you."

Briefly stupefied by this man's geniality, I fidgeted with my hair and replied, "Oh, um…it's okay."

It was time for a quick introduction. Holding out his hand, the gentleman said, "I'm the new blitzball coach, Rakson Devee. Garland told me all about how you reported the old coach for assault."

Shaking his hand, I admitted, "Well, there were a lot of people involved. I just wanted to do the right thing."

"Still, if it weren't for your bravery, that troublemaker would still be hanging around here, abusing his students. Not to mention, I'm now being hired as head coach instead of assistant coach."

"Oh…well…good." Remembering I hadn't introduced herself, I quickly added, "So, um, my name's Kairi."

Rubbing his chin, Rakson replied, "Don't worry. I already know who _you_ are."

Stymied again, I swore I'd seen this guy before. The feeling he was giving me was all so familiar, making me feel warm and safe.

Rakson continued, "So anyway, sorry we got off on the wrong foot. Now, you should probably get to class before I send you back to the office. I've still got to look after you, you know."

"Whatever you say, Coach Devee," I chimed, walking past him for the gymnasium.

After catching up with the rest of my cheer squad, I made the realization that some of that conversation was flirting.

* * *

**-X-**

Lo and behold, due to all of my collective sassiness from that whole day, I had mouthed off to Coach Kramer. So now I'm running laps around the track while the rest of my team fumbles around with new cheers. Thankfully, Kramer wasn't feeling too torturous, so she let me go back to the locker room early. In my coach's head, excluding me from my teammates was punishment enough.

After running-slash-powerwalking in the heat for so long, I gave myself a well-deserved shower. Seeing as how I was alone, I exercised my full right to sing a catchy tune as loud as my heart desired. I sang while dancing. I sang while gargling. I even played the air guitar, whipping my hair to and fro like the rock queen I know I am.

My red strands had gotten longer since Riku went missing.

I hated feeling like it was partially my fault that he left in the first place. Sure, we had gotten close, but it wasn't like I made him go. He always talked about leaving the island well before we…

"Why are my memories so fuzzy about you, Riku…?"

Suddenly, it struck my mind that Riku might not be the only one missing. My dream from this morning was of another boy, probably around my age.

"And why can't I remember anything about…whoever he was…?"

I broke from my reverie. It was high time to finish this peaceful shower. Grabbing my towel, I stepped out of the curtained area, and—

The sound of a bouncing ball on the floor rang in my ears. Soon enough, a curious blitzball bounced its way over to my wet feet. Instinctively, I wrapped the towel around my exposed body as tight as possible.

I heard hasty footsteps, and soon enough, a person came desperately running into the girl's locker room, likely searching for the loose blitzball. He looked around the small space like a lunatic, freezing me in my tracks.

"Oh, Kairi!" Rakson exclaimed in surprise.

Holding my towel tight, I responded heatedly, "What are you doing in here?"

Rakson covered his eyes, completely mortified. "Many apologies! The ball got away from me, and I wasn't paying attention to where I was going! You gotta believe me!"

I sighed. I could feel my heart pounding, prompting me to admit, "You nearly gave me a heart attack."

"Yeah, sorry—I just need the ball." Rakson uncovered his eyes, spotting the object in question next to my feet. "Please?"

Apparently, that was a request to pass the ball his way. It was in kicking distance, so naturally, I nudged it with my foot.

"Thanks…" said Rakson.

However, the blitzball had other plans. Instead of rolling into Rakson's possession, it mysteriously stopped on a dime and rolled back in my direction.

"What the…?" I whispered.

The ball rolled directly under my form, stopping just between my feet.

Rakson crossed his arms. Laughing and embarrassed, he stated, "I'm going to have to ask you to kick it again."

In a huff, I bent over to pick it up. However, the ball simply rolled further out of reach, this time moving behind me.

"Kairi, stop fooling around and just give me the ball!" Rakson suddenly ordered. "You know I'm not supposed to be here—"

"I'm not doing this!" I yell back, starting a wild goose chase after the renegade blitzball. Even Rakson started playing goalie by the doorway in case it rolled his way. Finally trapping it between my foot and a bottom locker, I yelped, "Got it!"

And suddenly, a hand found its way to my waistline, gripping me gently. That's when I realized I had my back facing Rakson. Thrown for a loop, I utter, "Um…"

"I'd better be the one to pick it up." He knelt behind me, reaching around my exposed legs to retrieve the stationary blitzball.

Chilled to the bone, I found myself motionless while Rakson lingered around my legs. Then, without warning, he caressed my left thigh with a slow-moving hand, inching above the knee.

"Oh, my. I'm surprised you're not on the team with these legs."

Finding myself involuntarily aroused by his touch, the alarms went off in my head as I stammered, "P-Please let go of me."

Rakson squeezed my thigh, complimenting me again, "So toned. I can tell you're a swimmer."

The side of his head briefly rested on my hip. I could hear him inhale sharply through his nose.

And just like lightning, he shot up to a standing position, ball-in-hand. "Anyway, once again, I apologize for trespassing. I would've liked to leave here sooner, but your antics stalled my exit."

I turned, gaped, and leaned back on the top locker while Rakson strolled away. I was stuck…stuck somewhere between confused and horrified.

"Remember, Kairi," he called back with a depraved smile. "I'm simply here to look after you."


	3. Desire of the Dark

**Chapter 3: Desire of the Dark**

I walked home alone in stunned silence. I spent the latter half of the day lying on the couch of my living room, either sleeping or staring at the wall.

My mind was a scattered array of distressing thoughts, like a million nameless tabs pouring from an overturned cabinet. I was vexed, confused, violated…and I couldn't refrain from thinking of him.

Something about that man's smiling face triggered all sorts of memories from past events. Some of those memories, forgotten, used to make me feel good. There was someone else from that certain time, someone who looked just like Rakson. Not being able to remember this person's name or face was causing me turmoil.

This other person…he used to go to the island with Riku and I. I hadn't been to that place in so long, and it was mostly because I felt guilty about not remembering this boy. That's when I promised myself I'd never go back to our play island until I remembered his name.

My legs quivered from the cold, lonely living room.

Rakson's touch lingered even now. The feeling of his dry palms squeezing my wet thigh sent a quick tremor up my spine. I looked over at the clock. It was already midnight.

Letting out a shaky sigh, I went on autopilot, letting my frigid legs carry me to my bedroom upstairs. Retired in my school uniform, I whisper, "Riku…where are you?"

* * *

**-X- **

Me and Jiminy found ourselves guests in the pristine Disney Castle.

Addressing a few loyal servants in the library, Queen Minnie stated, "I'm sure King Mickey would want us to secure the Cornerstone in these dark times. He wouldn't give up on the hope of the universe, so neither will we!"

Of course, she was talking to an army of walking broomsticks, so their response was stifled to say the least. She then turned to Daisy Duck, who reflected a look of concern. Minnie sighed.

"Oh, this would be so much easier if we had a captain of the knights to help run commands!" Minnie fretted. "It's so odd…I feel like we used to have one at this very castle."

"Perhaps that's what's taking the king so long to return?" Daisy suggested. "Do you think he's out looking for reinforcements?"

"That must be Mickey's intention," Minnie answered. "He always liked being prepared."

"Well…I certainly hope he comes back with a skilled magician to boot."

Me and Jiminy had overheard nearly all of their conversation, undetected due to our spectral-like forms. As the queen and lady departed from the library, I tapped my chin in deep thought. However, I still wound up admitting, "Okay, I'm completely lost."

"It seems they don't remember Donald and Goofy even exist," Jiminy observed from my shoulder. "That's odd. I get the feeling they forgot about us, too."

"We should go look for the king," I declared. "But the question is, where do we start?"

"How 'bout there?" Jiminy pointed at a portrait of Mickey's ancestor on the wall. Its frame appeared to be glowing brightly.

"Hm…let's give it a shot."

I made my way over to the glowing picture frame. Sure enough, through some sort of inexplicable trickery, Jiminy and I were whisked away through a fluorescent corridor yet again.

* * *

**-X-**

I got a head start on my morning routine despite how exhausted I woke up. It was a new day, the sun was shining, and I still hadn't figured out what to do about Rakson. I pondered skipping school entirely.

I caught my reflection in the mirror of my vanity dresser. That photograph of me and Riku was still on display.

"Riku…I remember you were strong," I said aloud. Taking the photo in my hand, I added, "At least, I think you wanted to be. I remember something else about you…"

Riku also loved flirting. I giggled at the thought.

"Where's my knight in shining armor when I need him?" I set down the picture. "Guess I'll have to figure this out myself, as usual."

…

I watched Kairi stroll out of her room, presumably leaving for school. Much like Riku, Kairi looked different than I remembered. Looking around cautiously, I noted, "Well…I wasn't expecting to show up here. We don't seem to be going anywhere specific, Jiminy. Uh…Jiminy?"

After checking every nook and cranny of my undersized outfit, I deduced the cricket journalist was nowhere to be found.

The photograph Kairi was previously conversing with caught my attention. I stopped and stared at it with a look of disbelief. Then, it hit me.

"I'm supposed to be in this picture. She…she doesn't remember me at all, does she?"

I pressed a palm to my forehead.

"Didn't Riku say he forgot about me? I wonder why he seems to know I exist, but Kairi and the others don't. I have to find out what all this means…"

I didn't immediately leave Kairi's room. Knowing my hand would phase right through it, I still decided to reach for the photograph. However—

"Whoa!" I exclaimed, watching the square picture light up briefly. After a quick eruption of light, something about the picture had changed. Seeing it now, the picture sported a third member in the empty space next to Kairi.

Staring wide-eyed at my younger self cheesing in the photograph, I uttered, "Now that's more like it."

* * *

**-X-**

On my way to school, I faced several urges to run away, but I couldn't leave. There was business to take care of.

Walking through to the main office, I zeroed in on the principal's door, knocking briskly before turning the knob. After giving myself a self-invitation inside, I started, "Principal Garland, there's something I need to talk to you about!"

"Ah, Miss Kairi! Your timing couldn't be more impeccable!"

Principal Garland sounded oddly elated to see me. However, not even two seconds after walking in did I have one question answered and many, many more raised. Standing upright next to Garland's desk was none other than Rakson, who waved at me timidly.

I wasn't amused. "What are _you_ doing in here?"

"Now, Kairi, let's try to keep things civilized," said Garland. "Mr. Devee approached me yesterday after school wanting to discuss his encounter with you in the girl's locker room."

Rakson continued, "Yes…I was already highly mortified by the circumstances of me wandering in there that I felt the need to bring this to the principal's attention. I just didn't want you to think I was putting you or anyone else in danger."

"Yeah, go figure," I muttered. Rakson's visage seemed rigid and narrowed on my irises. A great deal of worry sat within the man's eyes, but I could sense something else veiled right past it.

"Not only that, but Mister Devee wanted to bring up the comment he made about your physical fitness. Do you remember what he said?"

"Uh…" I shot Rakson another sharp glare. "I don't know. Something about my legs." _Also, he groped me._ Now, all I needed was to say that out loud.

"What I meant was that a lot of toned athletes do well in blitzball. Also, I felt things were getting awkward, so I definitely put my foot in my mouth."

Garland started to speak, "As you can see—"

"Also," Rakson interrupted the principal, narrowing his gaze even further into my soul. "I wanted to add I wasn't fond of your antics while retrieving the blitzball. If you had just given me the ball sooner, I wouldn't have accidentally touched you."

My eyes widened in shock.

"Oh, yes. I almost forgot about that part of the story," Garland admitted. "Can you confirm that there was some accidental touching, Miss Kai—?"

"You really are a snake, aren't you?" I was seeing red. "Accidental touching? More like groping, you pervert!"

"Kairi, please," Rakson defensively pled. "What happened in that locker room would've never occurred if you had just simply handed over the blitzball. I still can't figure out why you stalled my retrieval of the item."

"Right," Garland added pointlessly, causing me to fume. Then, he said, "So, how exactly _were_ you touched, Miss Kairi?"

I ratted him out right then and there, "He touched my waist, groped my leg—he even put his head on me!"

Rakson quickly amended my truthful account, "And as I told you, Principal Garland, all of this occurred while she played keep-away with the blitzball. I…" He whispered lowly, "…I think she had ulterior motives. I felt very uncomfortable."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I was speechless.

Then, Garland showed his naivety by actually believing Rakson's story. He stated, "Now, Rakson, I'm sure all of this will evaporate with a simple apology. No one likes to be trifled with, Kairi. It seems to me you were trying get Mister Devee in trouble with your antics as payback for his counting you tardy yesterday. Such fraudulence will not be tolerated here at Destiny High School. Am I understood?"

"You gotta be joking."

I left that hack's office without another word. Already the day had started off terribly, what with the principal justifying that creep's actions. How was I supposed to report Rakson for touching me—so I could feel safe—when he was already one step ahead of me? Going to Garland first was risky, but it seemed to pay off for him. I kicked myself for not beating him to the punch.

Maybe I should talk to a counselor? Surely, someone in charge of handling issues like this one would be more understanding of my side of the story.

The bell rang. I hurried through the hall, heading straight for first period. I didn't want to run into Mister Devee again.

Entering class about a minute late, I managed to avoid unwanted attention. Sitting right down, I tried to alleviate my internal conflict with thoughts of the other boy.

* * *

**-X-**

It was already lunch time, and I made the decision to go see a counselor. I still hadn't told anyone else about what happened in the locker room, not even Selphie. As much as I wanted to ruin her image of the "flawless" Rakson, I just didn't want to worry her. I'd tell her later once he was fired.

Walking past the cafeteria, I crossed over into the courtyard, heading straight for the counselor's office, a quaint building located outside the gym.

Walking briskly with my handbag, I suddenly heard my name:

"Hey, Miss Kairi!"

I already knew who it was. Turning around, I yelled, "What do _you_ want?"

Rakson, approaching with both hands in his pockets, said in a somber tone, "I just wanted to clear the air. I'm sorry I had to report you, but your actions left me no choice."

Seething with rage, I spat back at him, "Go to hell."

"Listen, I understand your frustration—but you've gotta see it from my perspective! I'm a new teacher here, and I didn't want to jeopardize my job because, well…"

Crossing my arms, I pried it out of him, "Because what?"

Sighing, Rakson stated plain and simple, "Because you have a crush on me."

I let out the mother of all scoffs. Laughing in his face, I retorted, "What, are you bipolar, or something?"

"No…?"

"You and I remember what happened yesterday _very _differently. You touched me inappropriately. End of story. I don't know what was going on with that blitzball, but I'm willing to bet you had something to do with it."

Shaking his head, Rakson simply asked, "Can we talk?"

"Not a chance—I'm going to the counselor." Maybe I shouldn't have voiced that.

"Wait, Kairi. I know…I know you miss someone very dear to you. Someone you're having trouble remembering."

My gaze went from icy to confused. "How do you know about that?"

"Walk with me."

Rakson then took the lead, fully expecting me to follow him. And for some reason, I did. Could he have some connection to this boy I keep dreaming about? Knowing I'd regret this, I clutched my purse and walked in his wake.

I commanded him, "Explain. How do you know about this person?"

Rakson stepped onto the gravelly track surrounding the field, motioning for me to walk it with him. Since this was a more public place than the girl's locker room, I was less anxious about tagging along. After all, there were random students littering the field and bleachers, so I doubted he would try anything perverted here.

Stepping onto the track with him, I walked with the new blitzball coach, side-by-side. He still had his hands in his pockets as he explained, "It was when we touched that I started remembering someone I love. Just yesterday, I found this ring on my dresser."

From his pocket, he extracted said ring, and I immediately recognized it as a wedding band. Swallowing, I slowly admitted, "It's beautiful."

"I've been having these weird thoughts lately," Rakson told me. "I have no idea where this ring came from, but recently, I've had dreams about a woman. I think she was my wife."

Now, my interest was piqued. Curiously, I asked, "You…you were once married?"

"That's the thing—I can't remember if I ever was. It's like everything connected to this woman I'm dreaming about up and disappeared. Everything except for this ring."

I didn't know what to make of this. That's when I thought about the photograph of Riku and I. It was just yesterday when I noticed the empty spot in the picture, like someone was missing. I waited for Rakson to continue his story.

"If I was ever married, I want to know what happened to my wife. And I have to admit Miss Kairi…you make me think of this woman in my dreams. Maybe it's because you share a lot of physical qualities…"

By now, I was trying not to blush.

"…or maybe it's because you act the same." He must have noticed my silence. "I'm sorry if this makes you feel uncomfortable."

Shaking my head, I told him, "No, it's just that…I've been going through something similar. I think there's a boy out there whose name I forgot. And…you remind me of him, somehow."

Eyes lighting up, Rakson said, "See? I knew it couldn't just be me. We've both lost someone in almost every sense. We can't even remember their names. Something wrong is going on, and I want to get to the bottom of it. I just…don't know where to start."

I gave a tortured shrug. "Honestly, me neither. I have a feeling this boy was a close friend of mine, and to completely forget his name makes me feel awful."

"Hmph. At the risk of sounding extremely corny, Miss Kairi, I think you and I have a connection, one that could lead us to our loved ones again. If you ever regain some memories of this boy and want to talk it out, I'll be there for you."

Funny…I no longer hated this man's guts. At least not as much as I did five minutes ago. Sure, the way he acted yesterday was questionable to say the least, but maybe he was just a tortured soul reminiscing of his wife? I couldn't help but give him a second chance.

He held out his hand for me to shake. I took it, responding with, "If you say so, Mister Devee. And thanks."

"Thank you for letting me confide. I guess you'll be talking with a counselor, now…?"

Shoot. I couldn't let him know I'd changed my mind, yet I could tell _he _could tell I no longer wanted to do that, but still I said, "Maybe later."

Chuckling, Rakson said, "Understood. Just don't be late for class."

Playfully, I countered, "And you keep away from the girl's locker room."

"Hmph. Agreed. Have a nice day, Miss Kairi."

Rakson then exited the track, walking back to the gym. As he walked away, I swore his pompous walk was similar to the mystery boy's swagger. And I guess Selphie wasn't totally incorrect. He was kind of a hottie.

* * *

**-X-**

Ms. Faris, my fifth period world geography teacher, was always pretty laid back. She never made us do much class work, and the homework was usually creative to say the least. That is, when she gave it out. And whenever she did, I'd get it done in no time flat.

However tonight's assignment was…curious. Ms. Faris wanted us to write a message in a bottle, even handing out glass bottles to each of us. According to my teacher, in times of old, the families of sailors lost at sea would write a message to their lost loved ones and stick it in a bottle. Then, they would let that bottled letter drift out in the ocean, where it would presumably be received by the spirits of whoever they dearly missed.

The purpose of this was to help facilitate the emotions of loss.

The purpose of the assignment, however…? I wasn't a sailor's wife, so I didn't know where to start with this.

Wait a minute. The boy! I could write to him!

Thinking creatively for the first time in a while, I let the words pour right out of my soul. I didn't feel the need to make it rhyme or anything, save for two lines in the middle. That sort of happened by accident. But it was so to the point that I even wrote it a second time. I had bottles at home; I found myself really wanting to send this message for real.

The assignment wasn't due until Friday, so maybe I'd send my personal copy of the message today or tomorrow.

* * *

**-X-**

I totally forgot to send the message today. Oh, well. I'll have time tomorrow.

So, I was home alone. It was nighttime. And being a developing, teenaged girl meant a lot of things. Like the fact that I had urges to fulfill. I was also beginning to notice these urges would rise after creative outbursts like the one I had earlier today.

Drumming my fingers on the coffee table, I couldn't help but think of Rakson. He'd said and done a lot of things over the course of the two days I'd met him. Things I both hated and liked. On one hand, he seemed to care about me getting the mystery boy back in my life. On the other, he also had no right to say I had a crush on him. Also—you know—touching me, too. This "connection" he mentioned at school made my mind wander. I shut off the TV.

Did I really remind him of his wife? And if so, did that mean he saw me in that way…?

No way. He was a teacher and I was a student. However, when he touched me, it felt like he was willing to cross that line. But if he really wanted to, he could've had his way with me right then and there. No doubt I would've screamed and called for help, so maybe that's why he didn't…

What is wrong with me? I shouldn't be fantasizing about what could've happened. I should be thankful for the amount of restraint he showed, however little it was at the time. But still, about this connection? Would it benefit us both to explore it? And if so, in what way?

Actually, I could think of a few ways. It might get us in trouble, but that notion actually excited me, at least in my moment alone. Shamelessly, I thought of what he might be doing in this very moment while loosening the strap on my white cami. Perhaps I was on his mind as well.

He _was_ a good-looking guy. If I was ten years older, I'd let him, or someone like him, ask me out on a date. It wasn't wrong to fantasize this way, was it? I sure hope not…because my mind was taking me to some devious places.

I massaged my thighs. Just sitting there on the couch, I noticed they were getting tender. Certain urges were calling my name. If anything, I had to try it. For my forgotten friend. Slowly, I uncrossed my legs and drifted off into a fantasy world. My sanctuary.

* * *

**-X-**

"It's good to see my mom's still healthy, even if she did forget all about me," I told Jiminy. "Also, the play island's still up and running, not that I expected anyone to tinker with it."

It was nighttime on Destiny Islands, and I was walking around town, just seeing the sights. Ever since I'd been transported to Kairi's room that morning, I'd taken the opportunity to revisit my boyhood home. Sadly, everyone truly had forgotten about me. Even my mother. But she seemed to be doing fine, attending work and watching soap operas.

That morning, I had found Jiminy pacing back and forth outside Kairi's house, looking lost and confused. Boy, was he happy to see me. In fact, we both were happy to find each other. Becoming split apart in a world that doesn't know you exist is a bit nerve-wracking. And so, Jiminy and I spent the day seeing many stores and businesses in our ghostlike forms, all so I could feel nostalgic. While walking back to the neighborhood, Jiminy said, "So, I noticed you went everywhere on the island, but avoided going to the school."

"Not a ton o' good memories, there," I replied. "Besides, I'd just be watching over Kairi all day, and I don't want to be a creep."

"Speaking of Kairi, maybe we should pay her another visit? Might be able to teleport somewhere else if we go back the way we came."

"Good idea, Jiminy!"

Rounding the corner of the neighborhood, I walked towards the mayor's house, suddenly having a thought in the form of a question.

I voiced it, "So, Jiminy? If we're supposed to be like ghosts, how come we're not phasing through the ground?"

The cricket sighed. "Don't think about it too much, Sora."

We arrived at Kairi's house, the biggest in the neighborhood. Standing before the front door, I quipped, "I guess we don't have to knock, do we?"

"Wait a second—my cricket-senses are tingling," Jiminy suddenly stated.

Concerned, I asked, "Is Kairi in trouble?"

"No, I don't think that's it," Jiminy said. "There's definitely somethin' goin' on in there…"

Anxious to see what it was, I urged, "Let's go!"

"Wait, Sora!" Jiminy protested.

Phasing right through the door, I entered the mansion's dimly lit foyer, heightening all of my senses for anything odious. I looked for the mayor but didn't see him in his office. It was quiet in the house, but some of the lights were still on.

"Weird," I said. "Isn't anyone home—?"

That's when I heard _it. _It was definitely Kairi's voice, resonating from the living room.

"Whoa." I couldn't help myself.

Covering his nonexistent ears, Jiminy said, "Yep! That's what I was afraid of! C'mon, Sora! We should leave!"

"Uh…" I was frozen in place, most definitely tempted by darkness.

"Sora! This isn't the time for shenanigans!"

"R-right!" I started walking for the door, but…let's blame what I did next on my heart, shall we? "Sorry, Jiminy!"

With two fingers, I took Jiminy by the coat and set him down on the floor, walking straight for the living room.

"Sora!" Jiminy called after me, jumping up and down. "What happened to 'not wanting to be a creep'?!"

Responding to the cricket, I whispered, "I just wanna make sure she's okay!"

Jiminy called out my stupidity, "Oh, she sounds _more _than okay! And why the heck're you whispering? You know she can't hear us!"

I took a deep breath and poked my head around the corner. And what I saw was…just wow. It was pure beauty, a stimulating work of art with a lot of moving parts. I absolutely loved what I witnessed, once again noticing Kairi had grown since the last time I was real.

Then, the all-natural Kairi rose up from the couch, a loose smile on her face. Gathering her clothing, she covered her feminine areas with her loose articles and skipped past me, causing me to sink closer to the wall. I almost forgot I wasn't physically there. Against the wall, I watched her walk past, gasping to myself.

Entranced, I followed after Kairi, watching her every move. She went up the stairs, so, naturally, I went upstairs, too.

Before I got too far up the staircase, Jiminy caught up with me, ready to deliver a chastisement. "Well, I hope you got a good look." However, the look of pure appreciation I gave him mixed with a humble smile seemed to melt his heart. Relenting, the cricket journalist said, "But ya better make sure she's okay. Ya Peepin'-Tom…"

I floated up the steps, following the sound of rushing water coming from the bathroom. Kairi had started the shower.

Now, the guilt was beginning to get to me, though I didn't skip a beat. Peeking into the bathroom, I saw her standing within the sliding glass shower door, her exposed figure blurry from the steam.

Wait. She wasn't done…doing what she was doing. Okay, it was definitely time to go elsewhere. This was her personal time, so…

As I retreated down the stairs, it dawned on me that there was no possible way she could be thinking of me. Not that I needed to be in her head like that. But, like with everyone else, I was…forgotten.

After recollecting Jiminy on my shoulder, I left the house and sat on the porch, sifting through the guilt of my actions.

"I really wish I hadn't done that," I told my cricket companion.

"I tried to tell ya," said Jiminy. "Can't unsee it, now."

Grasping at straws, I jokingly suggested, "Maybe there's a way to make me forget? Like how everyone's forgotten about us?"

Leaning on my neck, Jiminy placated me, "I won't rule it out, Sora."

* * *

**-X-**

I had a good night's sleep last night. I admit it—I gave in to a certain desire, but that's neither here nor there. What I _can_ say is that it worked in my favor. I had another dream about him. In it, he seemed to be following me around, but for some reason, I didn't stop him. It was like I wanted him to watch me. I can't remember what I was doing in my dream, but it seemed to attract him.

With a pep in my step, I got ready for school. But then, something caught my attention. It was the photograph on my mirror.

Slowly, I approached the picture, staring at it in awe. I couldn't believe it…there were now three people posing for the camera!

Picking it up, I screamed in joy. There he was, spiky hair and all. In that moment, I remembered his oversized yellow shoes, his red swimsuit and vest, his deep, cerulean eyes. However, just as I was about to remember his name, the image of him in the photograph began fading away.

"No!" I yelled, having no clue how to stop him from fading.

And just like that, he was gone. Keeping the memory fresh in my mind, I stuffed the photograph into my book bag, determined to show this to Rakson.

* * *

**-X-**

I went to school early, seeking out Rakson's office at the gym. Finding it, I excitedly knocked on the door; it was already open, but I thought it was cordial to do so anyway.

"Come in."

Okay, so my cheesy grin was probably excessive here, but I didn't care. Watching his eyes light up, I greeted him in a sing-songy voice, "Heeey~."

"Miss Kairi. What brings you here?"

I paused briefly, taking in his appearance. He had his suit jacket draped over his chair. That long sleeve, white button-up really fit him nicely. Blinking a few times, I focused on informing him, "I had another dream about him."

Immediately, Mister Devee stood up and closed the door to his small office, ushering me inside. With a genuine look of intrigue, he said, "Tell me everything."

The space between us had gotten thinner, and it caused me to have…feelings. He towered over me with this patient look on his face. Cute. Anyway, I told him, "It was a dream where he was following me. And not only that, I briefly got to see what he looked like!"

Extracting the photograph from my purse, I showed it to him. He took it from me gingerly, checking out the obvious first. "This guy's supposed to look like me?"

"No, not him. There's someone missing from this picture."

"Hm…I can tell it looks a little off-center."

"Right. So, just this morning, I got to see what he looked like before he faded away. Weird, right?"

Leaning on his desk, the man assured me, "This is indeed strange. I'm guessing something supernatural is happening here."

I didn't like the sound of that word. "Well, supernatural could mean a lot of things, like him being a ghost. But I don't believe he's dead. Dead people don't just hoard all their memories when they go."

"Point taken."

"So…did you have another dream about your wife?"

"No."

I was disappointed to hear that. Maybe we weren't operating on the same wavelength after all. Still, I wanted to help him. I said, "Well, that doesn't seem fair at all. That I get a dream and you don't."

He chuckled at his own expense. "That's life."

He looked so pitiful. I wanted—no, needed to make him feel better. Grasping his hand, I said, "Don't give up."

That's when I noticed his eyes widening, shimmering too.

"Mister Devee! Are you okay?"

"It's…nothing. You just make me think of her." He seemed to have an idea. "Tell me, Kairi—what is it specifically about me that reminds you of this boy?"

Crap. I hope he didn't see me blushing, if I was. "Well, I, uh…"

"You don't have to be embarrassed, Kairi." Guess I _was_ blushing. "Look, I'll go first. You and this woman both have the same hair color, the same feisty attitude, and…I think she wanted to name our first child something like your name. It means 'the sea,' right?"

I nodded, touched by his discourse. There's no way I couldn't help him, now. It's almost like we had a…

"The connection," I breathed. "That's it!"

With a lost look on his face, he chirped, "What?"

"The more we connect, the closer we get to our lost friends." I briefly thought about mentioning what I did last night. Wisely, I decided against it.

"That's sounds like what I said to you yesterday." Rakson raised an eyebrow. "How about…we talk more on this later?"

The first bell rang. That was a bit of surreal timing on his part, but I just chalked it up to his teacher-senses. For some reason, I lingered. Before he noticed and said something, I proposed before awkwardly turning my back on him, "Let's meet up again soon."

"Wait, Kairi."

I turned back around, only to see him smiling deviously. Still smiling, he reneged, saying, "Never mind."

A little frustrated, I turned back around to leave, but then he said, "Kairi, wait."

Once again, I turned around, this time in a heated huff. Standing there with this pouty look, I simply waited for him to speak for himself.

"Is your hair color natural?"

I scoffed at his question. Harshly, I replied, "YES."

Laughing out loud, he said, "The way you just said that…really reminded me of Arden."

Our eyes exploded open in shock. I asked in a whisper, "What did you just say?"

"Arden…that's her name!" Rakson celebrated in a loud voice. "Ha-ha! I just got her name!"

I couldn't believe it. I was extremely excited for him. Whatever we were doing, it was working. Oh, what I wouldn't do to remember _his _name.

"I'm so happy for you, Mister Devee! You're one step closer to finding out about your wife!"

Crossing his arms, the new blitzball coach said, "Please. Call me Rakson." Clearing his throat, he added, "And I still think you should meet me later. How 'bout it, Kairi?"

I nodded with a smile. "Sure thing."

"Oh, and one more thing. Don't be late."


	4. Session

**Chapter 4: Session**

I listened to Selphie brag about her about new crush. Correction: it was someone who had a crush on her, a boy by the name of Irvine. Okay, so I was sort of half-listening. My attention was divided between Selphie's evaluation of this new boy's physical appearance and at either end of the hallway.

"Anyway, he's tall, he's got nice hair, he keeps a cowboy hat in his locker, and the way he talks—"

The bell rang. Perfect.

"Shoot," said Selphie. "We'd better go in."

Indeed, we were hanging out right outside our first period classroom. But then I said, "No, we can hang out a little bit more. How big is his cowboy hat?"

Selphie obliged to exceeding our talking limit. "Oh, it's pretty big. Not, like, obnoxiously huge, but it's not a joke hat you see at the store, either. I'm thinkin' he came from a rich farm, or something. _Oh~, _what if he has multiple bank accounts—?"

"Oh, girls?" said the two-foot tall Professor Shantotto, getting our attention from the classroom's door. "Enough talking, now. Class is beginning. If you don't study hard, your heads—"

"'Our heads will be spinning', we get it," Selphie finished for her, taking the lead into class.

I don't know why I thought he would show up, but I guess it was lousy gamble. Maybe it was a sign. That I shouldn't be seeking the attention of a creep, no matter how…ugh, never mind.

I sat down in my algebra class. Of course, I still considered Rakson a creep. But that was my nature, nowadays. Who can you really trust as a teenaged girl? To me, everyone was a creep. Principal Garland's a creep. Wakka's a creep. Tidus hides it well, but he's a creep, too. Pretty sure my parents held the capacity for creepiness.

Maybe I'm going overboard. In any case, thank the sky above for the invention of playing with myself.

* * *

**-X-**

"I don't get it," I said to the cricket on my shoulder. "Why was she talking to that teacher for so long?"

"Well, why didn't ya just enter his office and eavesdrop? Clearly, you don't have any qualms with trespassing, as ya put on display last night."

I sighed, "Gimme a break! I just got over the guilt…"

Kairi had long since taken her leave from the teacher's office. I assumed he was a coach since it was close to the gym. Making an executive decision, I entered the office, phasing right through the door.

Once inside the quaint office space, I stared wide-eyed at the man sitting at his desk. He wasn't any of the teachers I recognized. He had to be in his late twenties or early thirties, judging by the stubble and stress lines on his face.

"Hm…" Jiminy and I hummed in unison.

Looking at the book he was quietly reading, I read the title aloud, _"Book of Prophecies For Dummies."_

"Must be some good readin'. This guy's focused."

Jiminy's observation wasn't inaccurate. The man was quite fixated on the book. I leaned us in closer to the man's face, still forgetting I could walk right through his desk.

"Hm," uttered the coach, and I'll admit that he startled me.

Jiminy hopped down from my shoulder to the desk, getting a closer look at the man. Meanwhile, I was just perplexed that he was even able to do that.

"Jiminy, how'd you do that without phasing through the desk?" I asked.

Jiminy sighed. "I told you, Sora. Don't think about it too much. Hey, you know…this guy kinda looks like you, but grown up."

"Really? I don't see it," I commented.

"Well, I sure do. You got any distant relatives on the islands, Sora?"

"Not that I know of, and definitely no one his age. I don't know, maybe I see it in the hair."

Then, the coach looked me square in the eyes. Smirking, he cocked an eyebrow and simply said, "Begone."

Suddenly a gust of wind took me and Jiminy by force, shooting us out of the office. The rogue zephyr was particularly unforgiving, as it blew us clean out of the building. Screaming, we flew for what felt like miles; the summoned wind carried us all the way back to the neighborhoods, impossibly far from the campus.

It all happened in the blink of an eye. Landing on my back, I quickly felt around my extra-small outfit for the cricket.

"Jiminy! Are you okay?"

"Yowzers! That was _some_ wind!" Jiminy exclaimed, climbing out of my hood.

Glad to not be separated again, I said, "So, that was weird! That guy…he looked right at me and said something!"

"Gee, I heard 'em, too! But how's that possible?"

Shaking my head in confusion, I added, "How is any of this possible? So far, he's the only person to interact with us."

"Hm…" Jiminy went into thinking mode. "Maybe we should return to the school and try confronting him again? If he can see and talk to us, maybe we can get some leads off this guy."

"I don't know. He didn't seem terribly talkative. But it's better than doing nothing."

Jogging back to the school, I remembered the smirk he gave me before sending us flying across the island. That look on his face…it made me worry about Kairi.

* * *

**-X-**

Lunchtime had finally come, and up 'til now, I'd been spending most of the day thinking of topics to discuss with Rakson. He'd gotten a breakthrough with his missing wife, and I didn't want to lag behind in our collective investigation. Standing with Selphie in line at the snack bar (we weren't terribly healthy people), I suddenly spotted Rakson crossing over in the adjacent hallway. He smiled at me, also nodding as he continued on his way.

I smiled right back. I liked his smile.

"Did you see that?" I almost forgot Selphie was idling right next to me. She nudged me, saying loud enough for the whole world to hear, "Mister Devee was totally looking at you! He even _smiled."_

Not good. I couldn't let Selphie know about our connection. That girl was sure to blab to the whole school—the whole islands, maybe. Thinking on my feet, I quickly denied it, "You sure he wasn't looking at you?"

"No way—I would've messed up the floor by now."

"Gross."

"He was looking DEAD at _you._ What if he's got a crush on you, Kairi?"

I lied through my teeth, "We don't even know each other."

"Maybe that tardy slip from the other day was all he needed, eh? The guy had hearts in his eyes for sure."

"C'mon, Selphie. That's illegal."

"Hm…wouldn't be a problem for me—"

"Selphie!" I exclaimed in disgust. "Are you _trying _to get the new coach fired?" Funny. Just yesterday I was trying to do the same thing. But no, definitely not like Selphie.

"Cool your jets," she replied, giggling. "I'm just saying. If he ever gave me that look, I might try to join the blitzball team."

"Ugh…weren't you planning on having lunch with Irvine?"

"Yeah, that'd be great if we had the same lunch period."

* * *

**-X-**

"Darn it, he's not in his office!" Jiminy observed.

"Maybe we'll catch him in the halls." I was determined to find that guy again. I remember reading the name plate on his desk. It was Rakson-something. He was the new blitzball head coach.

It didn't take long for us to get back to the school, but now we had nowhere to go. We didn't even know what class Kairi was in. After searching the halls for half an hour, the bell rang, dismissing students from their classrooms. With everyone walking around the condensed hallways, we had even more trouble spotting either Kairi or the blitzball coach. Even after things settled into second period, we still came up short.

There was no telling where Kairi was, but at least we knew the location of the coach's office. We checked back at the gym, but the guy was nowhere to be found, not even at his desk. Having the same idea, Jiminy and I decided to wait it out by his door.

But after third period ended, I figured it was lunch time. Weirdly enough, I had no hunger to speak of. Must be an effect of being a ghost…or something like it.

Jiminy and I decided to take our search to the cafeteria, but on the way there, we encountered a door labeled "Teacher's Lounge." To my surprise, that Rakson guy exited just as we were about to pass it up, and he didn't seem to notice us. He was walking at a brisk pace, heading in the cafeteria's direction. However, just as I thought he would enter the opened doors to the wide café, he continued right past it, but not before glancing inward to smile at someone.

Stopping in the doorway to the cafeteria, I scanned the area to see who he might've been smiling at and, to our surprise, it was Kairi, cradling a smile of her own. I was instantly offended by this.

"What is _with _this guy? Why was he smiling at Kairi? Does he have a crush on her, or something?"

"Now, Sora," Jiminy began in his mentoring tone. "We don't know much about the guy, so let's not assume anything."

"Oh, except that he blasted us halfway across the mainland," I replied in a retort. "There's something fishy about this Rakson guy. We'd better not lose him!"

Catching up to blue suit-wearing teacher, I realized he was heading back to the gym. I couldn't let him get back to his office; he might try to blast us again.

Stepping out in front of him, I said, "Hey, you!"

But he phased right through me, seemingly unaware of my presence.

"Can he see me, or not?" I questioned.

I try getting in front of him again, this time, summoning my Keyblade. Pointing it at him, I yell, "That's far enough!"

Once again, he phases right through, continuing his trek into the courtyard.

I catch up to him, desperately trying to get his attention, "Look, I know you can hear me! And see me, too! Why don't you drop the act and tell me what's going on?"

That's when he gave himself away, grunting with that same smirk, "Hmph."

Grumbling in fury, I shrieked, "FINE! Prepare to get annoyed all day—whoa!"

He suddenly took me by the collar of my shirt and started dragging me, never missing a beat in his walk.

"How are you grabbing me right now?" I pondered out loud, fruitlessly trying to break free from his grasp, but my hands would still phase right through him. I asked, "And why can't I touch you?!"

"Shut up."

That was the second time he spoke to me, and his voice chilled me to the bone.

Hanging on to my hood, Jiminy also yelled, "You let him go, right now, you fiend!"

Taking me to the middle of the field, he dropped me. Then, holding out his hand, he commanded, "Go to sleep."

Immediately, some sort of anesthetic was taking hold of me. My eyelids felt heavy, and my body went numb. Laying flat on my back, I desperately asked, "Who…are…you…?"

The last thing I saw was his scowling face looking down on me.

* * *

**-X-**

Cheer practice ended uneventfully, to my surprise. I was anxious to hit the showers, get dressed, and go see Mister Devee in secret. It was a little exciting, knowing I was about to go do something risky, but it wasn't for a nonexistent reason. I needed to get my friend back. And maybe, I could help someone else find a person they lost.

Selphie had bid her farewell, choosing to go hang out with Tidus and Wakka at the outdoor mall. I had denied her invitation but didn't disclose where I was going. She probably thought I had homework or something.

After we finished our hug goodbye, I went in the opposite direction, pretending to go home. But as soon as Selphie was out of sight, I turned back around and returned to the gym. I went by the coach's wing, zeroing in on Rakson's unit. The door was open; I was startled to see him chatting it up with the new assistant coach, who had his back to me in the office. Meanwhile, Rakson caught sight of me, sitting opposite the assistant coach. In the middle of his conversation, he blurted out loud enough for me to hear, "And you know what would be great? If our team could score two hundred and twenty-seven goals next game. Two hundred and twenty-seven!"

I was little confused. Was he trying to get my attention?

He could sense I was about to blow his cover, so he cleared his throat and drove the point home, "Yes, that number would be satisfying to watch."

Even the assistant coach was puzzled. He said, "Sure…but why that number, specifically?"

Rakson cut his eyes at me, a hinting look on his face as he replied, "I don't know—I just love the number _two hundred and twenty-seven!"_

_Oh, now I get it! _I thought to myself. Giving him a silent nod, I retreated to the gym's exit in search of the main building's room two-twenty-seven.

I made it there in record time, and, by either luck or circumstance, the door was unlocked. I entered it and ducked down inside, shutting the door behind me. Knowing I'd be seen if I sat in one of the desks, I chose to sit down against the wall adjacent to the door. I'd be out of sight if I stayed here. Now I just had to rely on Rakson's unspoken word that this was a safe place to be in.

Hm. Should I be getting paranoid here? 'Cuz I was definitely becoming paranoid.

I uttered to myself, "Please don't let this be a set up."

Rakson has proven to be a liar to save his job. If he was setting me up to get me in trouble with Garland again, I'd promise him scorched earth one day.

Glancing at the clock on the wall, I watched as minutes passed by in the darkened classroom, prompting me to think I'd misheard Rakson. On second thought, he definitely said "two hundred and twenty-seven" quite loud and quite clear. Like, thrice.

I whispered to myself, "Maybe his conference is running late…?"

Speak of the devil. He just walked in. Looking around, he didn't spot me at first until I raised a hand and said, "Right here."

Relief washed over him. Closing the door, he said, "Oh, thank goodness. I wasn't sure if you got the hint."

Standing up, I replied, "No, I read you loud and clear. Was that guy supposed to be the new assistant coach?"

"Yes, his name is Wedge, or something. I don't know if that's his last name or his first name."

I laughed amicably. "Well, I'm sure he was plenty confused by your secret code. You weren't exactly subtle about it."

"Hey, it worked, didn't it? Oh, and sorry about earlier at lunch. I feel like I nearly blew our cover with that smile I gave you."

I almost forgot that happened. "Oh, it's no big deal. Although…yeah, you did almost blow it."

Rubbing his chin with a chuckle, Rakson stated, "Well, let's just say I couldn't help myself."

I was pretty sure the room was too dark for him to see me blushing. However, he had a knack for noticing such things, so I quickly changed the subject, "Hm, let's get started!"

Rakson nodded.

"So, I was thinking we could start by talking about all the places we would go with our missing friends. Or, in your case, wife. That boy and I used to hang out with our friend Riku on the play island not too far west from here. We'd play all sorts of games, like footraces, blitzball, dueling with swords, a game we invented called 'Poke the Stiff'—"

"Enough, Kairi."

Rakson had said that sharply with a sigh. I didn't realize I was talking so much. Still, he didn't have to snap at me.

"Sorry, if that was a lot of info," I said. "But we have to tell each other everything we know if we wanna get more clues!"

He narrowed his shadowy gaze at me, stating, "Your way's not gonna work."

An awkward silence fell between us. Eyes darting all over his hardening facial features, I said, "…What?"

"Your way—it's just not gonna happen."

Affronted by this sudden shift in attitude, I said, "How can you say that? We have no idea what works and what doesn't!"

"Don't insult me," Rakson mysteriously replied. "Clearly, my methods are the reason we're getting anywhere with this search." He suddenly smirked at me like a sicko. "Tell me something, Kairi. Did you have a little fun with yourself last night?"

Holy…_shit._ Now I'm horrified. Shakily, I asked him, "What do you mean?"

"Hmph," he grunted back, still smirking. "Wasn't I the one leading that urge of yours?"

Oh my god…were you watching me?

Rakson raised a hand to the side of my head, playing with a few strands of my hair as he said, "I've known about our connection for quite some time. Kairi…you're special. To me and to that boy you like."

I felt like crying. That was a private moment.

"Aren't you willing to do whatever it takes to get your friend back? I know I am for my wife."

Putting on a brave face, I asked in cold tone, "Were you watching me."

"Not directly. Let's just say I have…an incubus to keep a close eye on you. And boy, you sure kept him busy last night—"

"Okay! I get it!" I didn't wish to hear anymore. I gently intercepted the hand playing with my hair. "Why would you watch me while…?"

"I told you, it's been _my _methods that've gotten us this far. Whether you like it or not, it's the contact between you and me that sparks those memories to come back. Even if some of the contact is…fantasy."

I swallowed a bitter pill. Deep down, I knew his logic was sound. I _did_ keep having dreams about him, and they always occurred after contact with Rakson, whether I liked it or not. Whether I wanted it or not.

Sighing, I fidgeted with my handbag a bit before saying, "Just tell me what you want me to do."

Then, outta nowhere, he pressed his lips to mine, causing me to drop my handbag. Stroking my back, he kissed me like a long-lost lover, definitely displaying his experience in the area. He woke up my tongue with his own, now eagerly invading my mouth.

After being allowed to let go, I slumped on top of a desk, staring into the abyss. Then, he critiqued me, "You'll have to do better than that, Kairi."

"I-I'm new at this," I admitted, hoping that fact alone would keep him at bay.

"No…you're just not trying. You need to see me as 'the boy'."

"But you're not a boy…"

"It doesn't matter—"

"I don't know about this, Rakson."

"Hmph…then, just let me handle it. I'm not going to hurt you, Kairi." He held out his hand courteously. Then, he commanded me, "Remove it."

What had I gotten myself into…

"Don't waste any time, Kairi."

Was this all my fault…?

"I-I don't want to," I told him.

"You need to do this. I _must _see my wife again. Our connection—it needs room to breathe. Don't stifle what little progress we've already made, Kairi. If you give up now, our hearts may never return to their true nest—our potentials wasted. You know this is right. Now…"

His gaze was hardened. My eyes were fearful.

"Do it."

Slowly, I did as he commanded. The skirt was the first to go. I pulled it down…and kicked it to the floor. With reluctance in every ounce of my body, I unbuttoned my shirt and slid that off as well.

And so, I sat there in my underwear, crossing my arms and legs to sustain a little body heat. Rakson applauded my compliance.

"See? That wasn't so hard. You are beautiful, you know."

I remained silent, looking off to the side in horror of my predicament.

"Say cheese."

A flash erupted in the darkened classroom, prompting me to yell, "Rakson!"

He put away his cellphone. "Shhh…you're doing great. This is for a good reason."

And then, he kissed me again. I couldn't even bring myself to push him away. I just…gave in. He then picked me up off the desk, firmly wrapping my legs around his waistline. I didn't know what else to do here, so I cradled a hand to his rugged face.

He pressed me against the chalk board, kissing me more passionately than before. For a moment I felt at ease, stupidly hoping this would be the extent of it. If only he didn't unbuckle his pants.

I could feel his eagerness, physically.

Suddenly he set me down, and I was naïve enough to believe it was all over. He then sat down in the teacher's chair, motioning for me to come join him.

Swallowing my pride, I mounted him on the chair. His boxers were exposed, so I was hesitant about descending over him. I placed my hands on his shoulders and went down to kiss him. He groped all over my waist and soon migrated to behind me, forcing me down on his pelvis.

I didn't know how far he planned on taking this. I just hoped kissing would be enough. But that's when he kissed my neck, causing me to moan.

Suddenly, a plethora of feelings erupted in me. It was like my mind had traveled to outer space, and I didn't know how to reach Earth.

I couldn't believe…that I wanted him. Shaking all over, I kissed him harder and deeper than before, now losing control of my self. He must've sensed this internal metamorphosis happening in me, for he took it a step further by reaching into my bottoms from the back. And I let him.

What proceeded next would cause me to shake and shudder.

* * *

**-X-**

I woke up groggy, sore, and with a cricket jumping on my face. I was in the middle of the track and field for some reason.

Jiminy saw that I was awake, so he jumped back to my chest, saying to me, "Sora, thank goodness you're awake! It was that coach guy, he must've put us to sleep here!"

"Wha…?" I sat up. "No way…"

"Yes, way. We must've been sleeping here for hours!"

Standing to my feet, I rubbed my eyes a bit before responding, "That guy is bad news. I really don't like Kairi talking to him."

"You and me both," said Jiminy. "Say, do ya think school's out already?"

I looked around. The field was deserted, and the main campus was quite empty. Peering at the sky, I said, "The sun's setting. I doubt that guy's still here, so maybe we should go check on Kairi?"

Hitching a ride on my shoulder, Jiminy said, "C'mon, I bet she's at her house already. And this time, how 'bout we give her some space?"

"Yeah, yeah, I know."

* * *

**-X-**

Rakson didn't take it much farther after invading my personal space with his hand. He seemed to delight in it, so much so that he ended our session soon after.

I got dressed in silence, but he was as talkative as can be.

"Remember, Kairi. You're special. And you're doing this for a valid reason. I can't believe I'm saying this, but you and I were destined to meet. I don't normally believe in that sort of thing, but it's because of you that I can remember my wife's name, now. Truly, I am indebted to you. Do you now remember anything about the boy?"

My mind was a mess of stars and nebulas swirling around. Just noticing he'd asked me a question, I said, "What? Oh, uh…no."

Placing a hand on my back, he repeated what I told him earlier that morning, "Don't give up. And get a good night's sleep. You might just have another dream about him. Also…feel free to express yourself tonight."

I flinched upon hearing that. I was still devastated that he knew.

"I'm only looking out for you."

"…Goodbye, Rakson."

"See me here tomorrow?"

"…"

"You won't regret it."

"…Okay."

With that, I left the classroom and exited the school. The sun was already setting over the islands.

Walking that dirt road back to my neighborhood, I silently accepted that I was being molested.


	5. The Fourth Day

**Chapter 5: The Fourth Day**

I was being molested.

* * *

**-X-**

I ran across town, tracing my way back to the neighborhood.

* * *

**-X-**

"Kairi! Wait up!" It was Selphie's voice.

I turned around, changing my blank expression into a smile.

* * *

**-X-**

There she was, walking away from me, alone down the dirt path. I sensed something off about her. Was it the way she let her handbag hang? And the way her shoulders seemed to sink with her every step? I wanted to see her face, so I began running towards her. That's when Jiminy and I heard footsteps behind us. It was someone familiar to me—Selphie. Running right past me, she called out, "Kairi! Wait up!"

Kairi stopped and turned around, smiling at the approaching girl. They met up, talking about something related to Kairi's whereabouts in the last thirty minutes. Kairi said that she had stopped by the library to study for some assignment. With that, they continued forward. I followed, catching up.

Selphie asked, "Hey, do you feel like going out to the island? Tidus and Wakka are all wrapped up in their ball game and won't go with me."

Kairi said, "Not today, sorry."

Why…why did she sound so sad?

* * *

**-X-**

I noticed Selphie lagged, so I stopped walking. She asked, "Aw, why not?"

I remembered the thing I told myself, about not going back to the island. I decided to clue Selphie in on the smaller part of my personal dilemma, asking, "Do you remember those boys who used to hang out with us?"

"Riku?"

"Yeah."

Selphie pondered out loud, "I wonder whatever happened to him. I sure miss him."

Thinking of Riku, I smiled, reminiscing of the last time I saw him. It was the night of the storm. Then, I said, "He's far away. But I know we'll see him again."

"Sure," Selphie practically guaranteed. "Of course we will."

"And the other boy?" I asked, testing Selphie's knowledge.

"What other boy?"

Just as I thought. She had no recollection of him whatsoever.

"The one who was with Riku and me all the time—" I went out on a limb, but ever since I saw him briefly in that photograph, my suspicions were rising, "—we played together on that island. His voice always used to be there…but now it's gone."

I could tell Selphie was lost in thought. I wanted to mention the photograph, but that would only confuse her more. Slightly bending the truth, I continued, "I can't think of his face, or his name. I feel awful about it."

His face…it was somewhere in my mind. I couldn't tell if he reminded me of Rakson, or the other way around. And his name…I still had nothing.

Taking advantage of Selphie's silence, I went on, "So I told myself—I'm not going to the island until I remember everything about him."

"Are you sure you didn't make him up?" Selphie asked, genuinely concerned for my mental health.

I expected her to be skeptical. It seemed no one else but me had the slightest inkling of this boy. Nodding, I was about to say something else, but then…

"Naminé?" a boy's voice said in my head.

* * *

**-X-**

I couldn't believe it. With a mixture of disbelief and excitement at her words, I was witnessing Kairi show signs of remembering me. Selphie seemed to doubt her, not thinking of me at all—like everyone else. But Kairi _did _have thoughts of me, however weak they may have been. My mind wandered back to last night…

It couldn't have been a coincidence that I was there for that moment. Oh, great. Here comes the guilt again.

My attention went back to Kairi as she put a hand to her head, looking suddenly agonized. Thrown for a loop, I then watched her fall to the ground. That clearly wasn't acting—she really fainted!

Gasping, Selphie shrieked, "Kairi!"

After she said that, I noticed something peculiar. Selphie didn't move, blink, or breathe. She was frozen in time.

Speaking up, Jiminy voiced his concern, "What in the world is happening, now…?"

I knelt down next to Kairi. Knowing my hand would phase right through, I reached for her hand anyway. Before we touched, I yelled, "Kairi—!"

I was interrupted by…something. At first, it was a light that engulfed my vision. It was coming from Kairi's body, so bright I had to shield my eyes. I was guessing Jiminy was hiding in my hoodie, since I couldn't make out his form on my shoulder. But not long after the lights appeared, I heard voices.

"Naminé…? What's happening to me?" I didn't recognize this voice. But something about it…it seemed to invoke the past.

"Who are you?" This one belonged to Kairi. "And that's not my name. I'm Kairi."

"Kairi… I know you." This boy's voice suddenly made me think of Hollow Bastion. All at once, thoughts of my second fight with Riku entered my mind.

Then, whoever was talking to Kairi just _had_ to mention the following, "You're that girl he likes."

As the light still blinded me, I gave a small smirk. Who does this guy think he is? There's no way he's talking about me—_no,_ not me.

Kairi's light fluttered. In a more excitable voice, she begged, "Please, a name!"

"I'm Roxas," the other boy replied, though I wasn't sure if that's what Kairi—

"Okay, Roxas, but can you tell me _his _name?"

Through the light, I managed to touch Kairi's hand. I didn't phase through; it actually felt real. Whatever I did must have caused Kairi's light to flutter once more. However, I wasn't the least bit concerned about the quality of the light show.

Breaking my silence, I smirked harder and spoke to the unconscious girl, "You don't remember my name? Thanks a lot, Kairi!"

* * *

**-X-**

"Huh?" I was just short of starstruck. Though my body was unconscious, I could still hear the mystery boy's familiar voice as if he was right next to me.

The boy said to me, "O-kay. I guess I can give you a hint."

Pulse pounding, I waited.

"Starts with an 'S'!"

My mind gradually gave way to consciousness, waking my body up. I really had passed out.

Helping me up from the dirt road, Selphie delicately asked, "Are you okay?"

Standing up, I only had one thing on my mind: the message in a bottle. It wasn't due until tomorrow, but I still wanted to send my copy of the message today.

The letter I wrote… Perhaps, just sending it off could help me with…what I was going through. Was it wrong that I didn't do this sooner? I had trusted a creep and a liar, and even if his methods seemed to be working, I still wanted the freedom of remembering Sora my own way.

Wait…what did I just say?

Giving Selphie an exited look, I immediately tore off for the edge of the neighborhood, the beach to be exact.

* * *

**-X-**

I watched Kairi run towards the sunset. I thought about following, but I was just relieved she woke up.

Selphie, unfrozen, started running after her soon after, but still, I lagged behind. I wasn't sure if I should give her some space. Maybe Jiminy would know…

Speaking of that cricket journalist, where was was he? Feeling around my extra-small outfit, I called out, "Jiminy? You there?"

"Looking for someone?" said a deep voice behind me.

I whirled around to come face-to-face with a blue-suit wearing teacher of Destiny High, the new coach to be exact.

Startled from his sudden appearance, I shrieked and said, "What do _you _want?"

"Enjoy your nap?" he asked me.

"Why did you do that? And what do you want with Kairi?"

Rakson laughed. "I'd be more concerned about that little cricket friend of yours."

Confused, I realized I still hadn't found him. I called out, "Jiminy, where are you—?"

"He has returned to the Realm of Dreams, blissfully sleeping just like your other two friends." Rakson smirked. "You, however, won't be rejoining them."

I summoned my Kingdom Key. Fiercely I told him, "Why don't you just tell me what's going on here? How come no one can see or hear me—and why don't they remember me?"

"Such a pity. You went through all that trouble and have no recollection of it."

Getting frustrated, I yell back, "Of what!?"

"You really don't remember? I guess Naminé truly is working her magic on you."

"Naminé…?" I briefly remembered hearing the other guy mention that name.

Rakson crossed his arms. "You see, Sora, your chain of memories is being reworked as we speak. This process of redevelopment has caused every person you've ever known to forget you exist."

This was ridiculous. "'Chain of memories'? So what's causing Riku and Kairi to remember me?"

"Oh, are they? Hmph, I'm running short on time," Rakson replied. "You're supposed to be sleeping, but thanks to my—" His eyes turned yellow—"intervention, you will roam this world as a specter forever."

Darkness. I knew he wasn't to be trusted. Snapping into my battle stance, I retorted, "Not if I have anything to say about it!"

Rakson gave a small smirk. "And it looks like you're becoming more tangible, Sora. Good. That means I won't have to be the one to dirty my hands." Just then, a swirling, dark portal exposed itself behind Rakson. While taking a step back into the portal, he told me in a laidback tone, "You're gonna die here. And there's nothing you can do to save Kairi from me."

Rakson vanished along with the portal, leaving me alone, albeit briefly.

That's when Heartless appeared all around me. It was a breed I hadn't faced before; they were lankier than regular shadows, also sporting longer antennas. Before I could react, each one lurched forward and dug their claws into me, and the pain was extremely real.

"Aaaaugh!" I screeched with their claws in my stomach, back, chest, shoulder, and sides, all bloodied from the surprise attacks. To truly prevent all methods of escape, a couple of the new Shadows multitasked by piercing my arms and legs as well.

Looking around at all the yellow-eyed Heartless and then back to my too-small outfit, I forced the words out of my mouth, "Guess you guys hit a growth spurt, too."

I punched one of the Heartless maiming my left shoulder with my left hand, sending it crashing into the dirt road. Against all their might, I slowly trudged forward, dragging them with me.

One by one, they realized they were causing me an inadequate amount of pain, so they withdrew their claws—all except one, who insisted on dragging with his claw in my right leg. Throwing out a strong kick, I loosed my leg from its bond, sending the Heartless skidding along the ground. Going back into my battle stance, I started the fight with a ritual taunt, "That all you got?"

The newer Shadows started leaping at me, each being swatted away or sliced in half. Calling in reinforcements, the remaining Heartless summoned forth my least favorite enemy I encountered in my last adventure: the Dark Ball. Soon after, more members of its breed began appearing in my way to Kairi.

Readying my Kingdom Key, I mused out loud, "'Nothing I can do'? Don't count on it."


	6. Never Too Late

**Chapter 6: Never Too Late **

After letting my friend catch up with me on the beach, I sent out my letter to the ocean. Selphie had asked what it was, and I told her about how I wrote it yesterday. I even mentioned a promise I loosely remembered…

"Wow… I hope he gets it," said Selphie.

With full faith, I replied, "He will."

I was getting closer. Maybe what I was letting happen to me…_was_ for a good reason. But nevertheless, I knew he'd receive my message.

"Right, So-Ra?"

* * *

**-X-**

After cutting down the last Dark Ball, a flawless victory, I looked down at my body and noticed the wounds were gone, my outfit repaired. I also felt great.

Slashing the air a couple of times, I rested the Keyblade on my shoulder, feeling extremely pumped. Still, what Rakson told me was unsettling me. Taking off for the mayor's house, I declared, "I gotta find Kairi!"

As I ran, I could feel the wind in my face. It felt good. Odd… I hadn't felt it the times I was running around the town before.

I set those thoughts aside. Who was Rakson? And what was he planning on doing to Kairi?

* * *

**-X-**

Selphie and I decided to hang out together at my house. I was pleased to have her company, though it made me face the dilemma of whether or not I should tell her about what's happening to me. Friends are supposed to understand, right? So, why did it unnerve me so much to open my mouth?

"Selphie," I finally said. "There's something going on at school you should know about."

Interested, Selphie said, "Really? What?"

Suddenly, there was a thunk at the door, followed by someone saying, "Ouch!"

* * *

**-X-**

Kairi's house wasn't that far away from my fight with the Heartless. Running at full speed (and missing the only friend I had in this ghostlike state) I rounded on Kairi's street and noticed two girls walking into her house.

Slowing it down, I deduced Selphie and Kairi had decided to hang out after school. I had to keep guard over them both.

I attempted to phase right through the door, but wound up hitting my head on it, yelping, "Ouch!"

I stared at the door. What was happening, now?

Just then, the door opened, revealing Kairi with a suspicious look. For a moment, I believed she saw me standing there, so I just stood, frozen.

However, Kairi just kept staring, as if through me, like I wasn't even there. She peered in opposite directions, proving my suspicion that she couldn't see me here. I thought about saying something, but the opportunity passed when she closed the door.

I also missed my opportunity to go inside. Yeah, it's like my whole body had become solid, but she still couldn't see me. I circled around the house, entering its backyard. Next to the porch was an opened window, from which I could hear the two girls' distinct voices.

"…It's nothing, Selphie."

"Aw, c'mon! You have to tell me if there's something going on."

I got closer to the window, placing my hands on the sill. Poking my head inside, I saw Kairi fidgeting with herself, as if she really needed to say something important.

* * *

**-X-**

I could feel that creep watching me. That sound at the door was all the warning I needed to keep this a secret. He'd said he sent an incubus to watch me, and it was definitely trying to tell me something. Then, I noticed the window to the backyard. I'd irresponsibly left it open all day.

Before I replied to Selphie, I quickly went over to the window and slid it shut, though it didn't close all the way. Something must have gotten jammed. Opening and closing it a second time, I managed to clear out whatever was blocking it.

I turned to Selphie and said, "I think someone's following me."

* * *

**-X-**

I barely had time to get my head out the window—but my fingers? Oh, they got the short end of the stick. As my digits pulsated, I lay on the ground, quietly letting out a muffled scream of pure agony.

* * *

**-X-**

"Why would someone do that?" Selphie asked.

I didn't know exactly what to say, so I lied. "One of the kids at school is…bullying me."

"What?!" Selphie extracted her coiled-up jump rope from her Moogle-themed handbag. "Who is he? I'll show 'im! Just tell me his name!"

I thought, _Maybe Selphie could beat up Rakson?_ While the thought of Rakson suffering welts from a jump rope amused me, I still had to keep this all a secret.

"Take it easy," I told my vengeful girlfriend. "I can handle it myself. I just want someone to keep me company tonight."

Nodding her head, Selphie replied, "Sure thing!" She then fixed me with a stressful look. "I just don't get it. Why would anybody bully you? People love you…"

That was exactly the problem.

* * *

**-X-**

I climbed to the roof of Kairi's house. By now, the sun had set, offering that familiar view of the stars above. I totally thought about pulling a Santa Clause and climbing down the chimney, but that would make too much noise. In order to catch a creep, you have to think like one, too.

Still, I'd need a way in if something went down. The window to Kairi's room was shut, as well as the others. If push came to shove, I'd show that chimney who's boss.

That's when I heard the front door open and close.

* * *

**-X-**

Selphie and I decided to walk over to her place to retrieve her things, that way she could spend the night. During our walk, my mind was assaulted with ultimatums.

Should I give in to Rakson? His methods appeared to be working, but they were also extremely degrading. I can't believe I let him touch me. And what was with that picture he took? Did he plan on blackmailing me with it?

As we walked, Selphie went off about this supposed bully. "The fact that you're NOT telling me who's doing this must mean I know him. Or is it a her?"

My mouth moved on its own accord. "It's a him."

"That's what I was afraid of. You've gotta be careful, Kairi. Guys who abuse girls are the scum of the Earth!"

That's what Rakson turned out to be. "I know, Selphie."

"People like him really turn out to be psychos in life. I mean, if he hurts defenseless girls now in high school, just think of what he'll do when he's an adult!"

My heart was racing. Rakson could be listening right now. If he found out I'd given Selphie the slightest clue of what he was doing to me, I…I don't know what he'd do. For the most part, I had no idea what he was capable of, but I had no desire to test him.

"I just can't imagine what he's doing to you! He's not…touching you is, he?"

When Selphie said this, I faltered a bit in my steps. Eyes fixed on her hazel irises, I shakily lied, "No."

Selphie didn't fully believe me at first. "It's okay to tell me, Kai—"

"No one's touching me!"

* * *

**-X-**

As I caught up to following the two girls, I took quiet steps behind them to avoid their detection. Their conversation was puzzling to say the least. Apparently, Kairi was being abused by another kid at the school. Just when I thought Rakson was a handful…

That's when Selphie asked if anyone was inappropriately touching Kairi. Her reaction startled both me and Selphie:

"No one's touching me!" she semi-yelled. "I know you're just being a good friend, but please don't say something so ridiculous!"

Selphie gave Kairi's arm an affectionate rub. "I didn't mean to upset you. I just had to make sure nothing like that was happening."

What was going on at school? I knew I should've kept a closer eye on Kairi.

She was so cheerful when she left Rakson's office this morning. And yeah, I knew firsthand how okay she was last night. But now, she was all of a sudden telling Selphie about a bully.

Wait. Something happened after school. While I was asleep. Rakson…!

I know that she's been talking to Rakson, and even smiling at him. But the guy's a dark-user, summoning Heartless and saying things like, "There's nothing you can do to save Kairi from me…"

So…there was no kid bullying her.

I'll admit it, I'm a slow guy. It takes me a while to get things. But when I get it, I get it. And, walking around invisible behind the love of my life, I finally understood.

Rakson was bullying Kairi.

He was probably one of those controlling bullies that liked to make people feel good before tearing them down. There was no other explanation for his behavior with Kairi. If that guy thinks that just because I'm invisible I can't do anything to stop him, then he's in for a rude awakening. After all, my body was solid now—

Crap. I stepped on a leaf.

* * *

**-X-**

Selphie and I looked back behind us, stopping our walk. My friend echoed my thoughts, "Weird. I thought I heard something behind us."

"Me, too," I said. And then I noticed the extra set of footprints on the ground. My mind went back to the incubus. It _was _real.

A surge of terror going through me, I told Selphie, "C'mon—let's go!"

We immediately started running, and my hope was that Selphie would question me later. However, one look at her told me she was just as scared as I was.

We made it to Selphie's house in record time. I made her promise me not to tell her parents about this "bully" of mine. After she gathered her things, we started our trek back to my house, and it had gotten darker outside.

Preparing to jog it back to my house, I told Selphie, "Let's not waste any time."

Clutching her backpack, Selphie asked, "Why? Do you think that kid's following us?"

I sighed. I didn't how long I'd be able to keep lying like this, but I still told her, "Look, Selphie. There is no bully. I made him up. I'm just…really scared of the dark."

Throwing her hands to her hips, Selphie saw right through me, "Okay, this isn't making any sense. What's going on at school, Kairi?"

I swallowed away my guilt. "Nothing."

Understandably, Selphie wasn't convinced. "You don't have to lie to me. Just tell me."

"_Go ahead, Kairi. Just tell her."_

I froze. The voice had whispered it in my ear. It was a boy's voice. It wasn't Roxas's; it sounded like Sora's but just a tad more…menacing.

All I knew was that I was scared. After checking behind me to see no one standing there, I started fighting back a panic attack. More commandingly, I told Selphie, "It's nothing—let's just go!"

So, I started running, not knowing who that voice belonged to.

* * *

**-X-**

Suddenly, I saw him standing there behind Kairi. Judging by his build, I guessed he was a boy around my age. I couldn't see his face. It was covered by a shiny mask. As for his outfit, it reminded me of the time Riku was possessed by Ansem at Hollow Bastion.

He was standing directly behind her, then leaning in close to whisper something. That's when Kairi whirled around to see who it was, and judging by her lack of surprise, she definitely didn't see him there. Then, she started running, leading Selphie back to her house.

I summoned my Keyblade, not entirely trustful of this new guy, who was apparently invisible like me. Just as Kairi and Selphie got out of earshot, I questioned the boy in black, "Who are you?"

"Hmph. Looks like we can see each other this time, brother."

"Brother?" I repeated. "Start making sense!"

"So…how 'bout that show last night? Was Kairi great, or what?"

I was nothing short of confused. "What…? Are you saying you were there?"

"I was, but we didn't see each other. It's only 'cuz of Rakson that I even knew you were there in the first place. He must've sensed your presence in Kairi's house."

"Oh, no…" I didn't know what to think.

"Hmph. According to Rakson, you didn't even stay for the grand finale." After cackling a bit, he continued, "Anyway, aren't you wondering why your body's become more solid, now? It means your sleeping form is finally getting its memories back. You—or should I say WE—are getting stronger, Sora. Heh, if only my body was solid last night."

"I've heard enough!" I yelled. "What do you want with Kairi, and why is Rakson bullying her?"

The boy laughed out loud. "THAT'S what you think he's doing? Boy, you _are _slow."

I shrugged off the insult, slowly losing my temper.

The boy continued, "I don't plan on terrorizing Kairi anymore tonight. Unless Rakson senses her about to tell the truth, then, of course, I'll have to step in. But do keep watch over her, Sora. You don't want the big, bad Rakson to show up." With a laugh, he departed via Corridor of Darkness, leaving me in stunned silence.

Something about that kid's laugh… It sounded so familiar.

I mused out loud, "What did he mean by that? What's Rakson actually doing to Kairi?"


	7. Face My Fears

**Chapter 7: Face My Fears**

I could tell Selphie was concerned, even though she didn't question me for the rest of the night. Her presence was soothing; I didn't worry about Rakson or his incubus while I hung out with Selphie. We watched high school dramas, listened to the radio, and even found time to laugh and gossip. But I could still tell she wanted to talk about something else.

It was getting late, and Selphie had fallen asleep on the couch. I stayed up on my parent's computer, researching anything about a missing boy named Sora. Every site I went to, I came up short.

Then, I decided to search for anything related to Rakson Devee. Once again, nothing. How did the school hire someone without a background?

Then I started scaring myself by searching images of incubi. Ugly little things…

The last thing I searched…was about rape victims. According to a website, there were three stages to something called Rape Trauma Syndrome. Reading into that info, I figured I was very likely in the Acute Stage, where I acted like nothing happened. There were more symptoms to this particular stage, and they all made me sick just reading about them.

Then, I knowingly went into denial. What Rakson had done to me—I let it happen. I told myself there was no molestation. I chose to go see him after school, I chose to let him kiss me, and I chose to allow him into my personal space. I did it for my missing friend.

Suddenly, Selphie stirred awake behind me. Closing the online article, I looked back at my friend, who stood up groggy.

"Hey, not that your couch isn't the most comfortable place in the world, I'm just gonna go sleep in your bed."

"Uh…sure!" I was glad she hadn't seen the article.

"I'll save you a side."

After she went upstairs, I stared at the desktop of my computer. Rakson wasn't wrong. Every time we got close, I learned more about my missing man. Earlier today, we'd gotten closer than ever before, and lo and behold, I learned what the boy's name was.

But…would Sora approve of this method?

I shook the thoughts from my head. I needed to focus on my next encounter with Rakson. We'd probably go a bit farther than the first session, and that thought alone caused me stress. I needed to be strong, but…knowing what I'd do made me feel weak.

There was no use dwelling on it now. I shut off the laptop and went to bed.

* * *

**-X-**

The night had gone on uneventfully. I spent the night in the backyard, sleeping on a lawn chair. That mysterious boy in the mask had kept his promise, and I wasn't terribly worried about Rakson showing up, either. The windows were closed, the blinds were drawn—I had no clue what Kairi and Selphie were up to, but, judging by their occasional laughter, I assumed they were safe. Still, it wouldn't have killed them to leave a blanket outside.

When morning came, I decided to check on Kairi's window, a part of the house built by a long tree branch. Shimmying up to her window sill, I took a peek inside and noticed the room was empty. Lucky for me, the window was unlocked. Sliding it open, I quietly climbed inside, shutting the window behind me. Through the walls, I could hear the sound of rushing water, indicating the shower was running.

I sniffed myself. Yeah, having a solid body meant I got all the smells that came with it. I could use a turn in the shower next. All I needed to do was patiently wait for…wait, who was in the shower?

That's when I heard two voices coming from the bathroom.

"Scrub, scrub, scrub!"

"Really, Selphie? Don't make me kick you out."

"What, I can't scrub your back?"

"I told you—this is a gym class shower. Whatever we don't do in gym, we don't do in here, either."

"Fine. But it'd go a lot faster if you let me, just saying."

"We are already saving enough time by doing this TOGETHER."

My eyes widened in shock. If I could see through walls, I might have fainted. Where's a cricket-sized conscience when you need one!

Crap. They stopped the shower. I needed to vacate the premises—fast. Right before the door opened, I barreled over the edge of the stairs, hanging off the railing. The problem with this tactic was the fact that the railing was barred, meaning I could see right through it. Probably should've just went _down_ the stairs, so we'll blame that on my stupidity. Luckily, both girls were wrapped in towels, so I didn't have to feel guilty about—

Son of a DUCK—Selphie took hers off right before entering Kairi's room, forcing me to shimmy down to the bottom of the stairs.

I was such a victim in all this.

* * *

**-X-**

After Selphie and I had gotten ready for school—trust me, the shared-shower thing was her idea—we walked to school. Even in broad daylight, I was still a little nervous about someone or something watching me.

But with those nerves came newfound bravery. After my resolution last night, I found no need to be scared anymore. I was the one letting this happen, so I still felt in control of my destiny.

Wait…did that mean I was giving in?

Stymied, I walked the rest of the way to school in silence while Selphie droned on about Irvine's not-so-sudden appearance at the mall yesterday; I offered tidbits of paralanguage like "Uh-huh," "Really?" and "No way!"

After arriving in first period, I sat in extended silence, forcing myself to believe I'd be doing the right thing later today.

* * *

**-X-**

So, after I regained my sanity, I waited for Selphie and Kairi to leave the house, and then I hopped in the shower. Staring at my clothes on the bathroom floor, I guessed they were invisible, too, and that was weird to me. But if Jiminy were here, he would probably just tell me not to think about it too much.

Anyway, after I scrubbed a few good times, I took one of the towels used by Kairi or Selphie and dried off. Heck, I used them both. Let's not dwell on why.

Whatever, so after getting dressed, I took off for the school. Running at breakneck speeds, I sped past numerous students on their way to the same place, and I no doubt freaked them out with my loud footsteps and magically appearing footprints. Also, I'd stupidly say "Excuse me!" as I ran past them.

One of the students screamed in horror, but I ignored them. Making it to the school's courtyard, I scanned the area for Selphie or Kairi but found neither.

The first bell rang. Sighing, I decided my next tactic would be to go door-to-door of every classroom until I found her. Since I was solid now, I couldn't just phase through. I had to peep through the doors' small, rectangular windows to check if Kairi was inside. However, before I got too deep in my search, I saw _him_ walking down the hallway.

Briefly, he looked shocked to see me. But then he smiled, continuing his business. As he walked through the empty halls, I followed, sidling right next to him as I demanded, "Where's Kairi?"

"Funny," said Rakson. "Feels like I'm hearing voices."

I spoke up in a louder voice, "I know about what you're doing to her. She told someone she was getting bullied here—and I know it's you!"

Rakson stopped by a water fountain to fill up his cup. After taking a sip, he said, "Don't speak. People can hear you now."

Immediately, I cupped my hands to my mouth and yelled, "HELLO—!"

So then, Rakson took the back of my head and rammed my face into the water fountain. I'd hit my forehead, and that was enough to shut me up for the time being.

Dazed, I whispered, "You're a bully."

He grabbed me around my throat with one hand. Squeezing the life out of me, he held me up against the wall, where he pretended to casually lean against it. He was pushing all of his body weight against my throat, so I found it hard to escape.

Giving a cordial wave to a student passing by with a hall pass, Rakson muttered to me, "You met Vanitas last night, didn't you?"

Straining under the pressure of his arm, I answered him with a question, "You mean the guy in the mask?"

"Yes, him. Believe it or not, he does what I tell him to. Let's say you start annoying me at any point in the day—all I have to do is give the word, and he ends Kairi's life. Which is pretty easy for him to do considering he's invisible to everyone but me."

Eyes watering from the lack of oxygen, I sputtered back, "And me!"

Dropping me from the wall, Rakson took another sip of his water, then saying, "Then you'd better go find her before he does."

Rakson continued down the hallway, not even bothering to look back at me. Now I desperately needed to find Kairi. Why did this guy wanna bully her so much?

No time to think about why. Checking classroom after classroom, I finally happened upon a room belonging to a Tarutaru teacher by the name of Ms. Shantotto. Finally given a break, I spotted three familiar faces amongst the crowd of students: Tidus, Selphie, and Kairi. Apparently, today was some sort of test day.

Sighing in relief, I unintentionally caused fog to appear on the door's glass window, so I quickly wiped it away with my hood. No one had noticed it, so I camped out outside the classroom.

* * *

**-X-**

First period went by in a boring blur; it was test day.

Selphie and I had different second periods, but Tidus and I would go on to the same class next. We didn't normally walk with each other because…well, we weren't super-good friends, but today I figured I'd use his company.

"Hey, Tidus! Wasn't that test insanely difficult?"

Looking a little surprised and questionably excited to see me, Tidus mindlessly replied, "Eh, it was cake. Still, it probably would've been a lot easier if I did more than cram for it this morning and a little bit of last night, too. What d'ya think you got on it?"

I shrugged. "Probably an A. You?"

"Yeah, definitely not an A. I'd better not get benched from blitzball for this, otherwise my old man's gonna mop the floor with me."

I was actually concerned when I heard that. "Oh… Your dad's not, like, abusive, is he?"

"Eh, most of the time, he's not. He's just really, really loud. Just an A-Hole, really."

Giggling at Tidus's description of his dad, I felt a little at ease telling him, "My dad gets loud, too. It's usually when he's making speeches at press conferences or when I haven't cleaned my room."

I managed to make Tidus laugh out loud. Just then, he greeted someone passing by in the hallway, "What's up, Coach Devee!"

"Tidus," the coach responded lowly. "I hope you passed that test."

"You and me both, Coach!" Tidus flippantly replied, walking right past Rakson. He went on, "Yeah, dads can be a real drag, but I guess that's what they're here for these days."

"…"

"Right, so, Kairi…? How are things?" Tidus must've noticed how silent I'd gotten.

Clearing my throat, I said, "Things are good! Uh, I…am having a good day, so far."

Oblivious to my internal struggle, the blitzball player said, "Well, that's good. Honestly, I thought I was gonna lose my mind when that Irvine kid showed up at the mall yesterday—Selphie's mouth just moves NONSTOP whenever—"

"Tidus, me bredah!" Wakka greeted from the top of the stairs. He noticed something was off. "What are you doin' walkin' wit Kairi?"

Slighted, I peevishly greeted the other blitzball player, "Nice to see you, too, Wakka."

Throwing out his hands defensively, he amended, "What? I just never seen you two walk together. Kinda looked like you were going steady, ya?"

"Wakka!" I shrieked.

"Yeah, man—whoa! That's, uh…that's…!"

"That's ridiculous," I finished for Tidus.

Visibly deflating, Tidus more-or-less agreed, "Yeah, totally…"

"Hm, my bad!" Wakka more-or-less apologized. "Let friendship blossom like a cactus, I guess."

I walked on ahead to our second period class, looking back to say, "Nice talking with you, Tidus."

As I entered Mister Mikado's science class, I could faintly hear what sounded like an argument between Tidus and Wakka, but I didn't look back to see. After I sat down in my seat, the two blitzball players soon entered the classroom, looking like nothing had happened.

* * *

**-X-**

Geez. Now I wanted to be in school again. Not gonna lie, Tidus walking with Kairi had me in a jealous mood.

However, those thoughts faded when he and Kairi passed up Rakson in the hallway. Judging by how quiet Kairi grew, I knew something was up. The coach briefly glared at me but kept on his way. I may not catch Rakson in the act, but I could definitely prevent anything else from happening—just by being there.

Once again, I camped outside Kairi's classroom, keeping my eyes peeled for Vanitas or "Coach Devee."

* * *

**-X-**

After leaving Mikado's class, I went through third period in a haze. I left for the cafeteria as soon as the bell rang.

There was this growing sensation of dread in my chest, and I willed myself to push past it. After a talkative lunch with Selphie, I went to fourth period alone, going through the motions with that class as well.

During Miss Faris's fifth period class, I presented my copy of the message in a bottle to the other students. Without much vigor, I volunteered to go first and get it over with, and to my surprise, some of the other students actually gave genuine applause. I guess that was my highlight of the day.

I shared sixth period with Wakka, and I managed to catch up with him before we entered class. Amicably, I said, "Hey, Wakka! How's your day going?"

With a sly tone, he replied, "It just keeps gettin' better and better. Yours?"

I lied, "Can't complain. Hey, so…how's the new blitzball coach treating you?"

"A lot better than Coach Liquor-Face. He's pretty knowledgeable, knows his stuff, and… Wait, don't tell me you have a crush on him, too!"

In another time, another place, I would've scoffed and then laughed at Wakka's assumption. Would've called him crazy. And then, I might've even told him yes. But in my current circumstance, all I could say was, "It's complicated."

"Hm?" Wakka found something fishy about that reply, and I kicked myself for not thinking of a better answer. "Whatchu mean?"

I had to fix this. "He just, uh…reminds me of someone on TV." Receiving a blank stare, I added, "Someone I like."

"Uh…not really that complicated, Kairi. Sounds like you think he's a celebrity, hm? Just say you got a crush and call it a day."

"Fine…I have a crush on Coach Devee."

"Just like the rest of the school," Wakka said, smirking. "And just to be clear, you and Tidus aren't actually going steady, right?"

I answered confidently, "No, Wakka. We are not going steady."

"Shame. The two of you would make a seriously cute couple—ow!"

Alarmed, I asked, "What happened?"

"Don't know…feels like something just flicked my nose, ya?"

"I didn't see anything."

* * *

**-X-**

What? I couldn't help myself. I'll be good, now.

* * *

**-X-**

After sixth period ended, I was off to cheer practice. And before I knew it, that ended, too. Since my last period ran well after school, the campus was already mostly empty by the time we hit the locker room.

I took my shower in silence, now realizing this cleanliness was going to benefit Rakson more than me. I bet he wouldn't want me if I was still sweaty from practice.

Wait, I had to stop thinking like that. I'm still in control, here. I'm letting this happen—for Sora's sake.

After getting dried off and dressed, I met up with Selphie outside the locker room. Putting on a brave face, I lied with expertise, "Hey, I'm going to the library again. How about we hang out at your house after I get back?"

Selphie counter-proposed, "Or, I could go with you. I don't have much going on today. And we should totally hang out at your place. Your parents are still on a business trip, remember?"

"Point taken." Sighing, I tried again, "Actually, I lied. I kinda just want to be alone at the beach for a while."

"Oh. You really shouldn't lie, Kairi. But if you want to be alone, I'll let you be, then."

_Stop regretting this. It's now or never._

"Thanks…so, what are you gonna do until I get back?" I really wanted to know, just in case she planned on following me.

"I guess I'll hit the mall again with Tidus and Wakka. Who knows—I might run into Irvine again."

"Well…good luck."

"Text me when you're home!"

"Sure thing."

* * *

**-X-**

I followed Kairi at a safe distance. She had mentioned to Selphie something about going to the library, but I recognized that as a lie, and I was guessing that Selphie did, too.

Then, she changed her story and said she wanted to hit the beach, and at this point, I didn't believe a word Kairi said. How and why did one bully have her lying so much? Where was she really headed? There was only one way to find out.

I watched her leave for the dirt road that led back to the neighborhood and soon realized that was all for show. Quickly, she circled back around to the back of the school, entering one of the main buildings and going up to the second floor. I had to get a lot closer so we'd enter the building at the same time. I slid in right behind her.

She must've detected me. Stopping in her tracks, she looked over her shoulder, briefly staring right through me. After she walked away, I exhaled quietly, also uttering, "Kairi…"

As she walked up the stairs, I could sense something awful awaiting her. We must be getting close to Rakson and his partner, Vanitas. Finally, I could see—and might even be able to stop—what was happening here.

After I reached the top of the stairs, I spotted Kairi entering a classroom by herself, also wondering why she insisted on placing herself in such dangerous positions. Her being alone after school like this—it was every bully's dream.

I whispered to myself, "Let's see who's in that classroom with her."

"Not so fast, brother."

I whirled around to spot Vanitas and Rakson making their way up the stairs. My adrenaline spiked upon seeing the two walk side-by-side. Summoning my Keyblade, I was about to say something until Rakson placed an index finger to his mouth, which slowly smoldered into a creepy smile.

I attempted to stand guard at the top of the stairs, but that proved useless when Vanitas teleported right past me. Continuing his walk towards the classroom—I'm guessing they already knew which one—the masked boy looked over his shoulder at me, shaking his head in ridicule.

Everyone was being exceptionally quiet. If I talked, Vanitas would speed on ahead to harm Kairi. If I didn't say or do anything, there's a good chance both Rakson AND Vanitas would harm Kairi.

"Let's chitchat," Rakson muttered, pushing me into a bathroom.

After catching my balance, I declared fiercely, "I'm not gonna let you hurt her."

"Look, Sora… From now on, just let me handle things with Kairi. I'm giving her everything she wants, now. You see, she and I have this mutual understanding, so really, you don't have to strain yourself."

"…" I didn't say a word. I just glared.

"Now, you're getting it. Do me a favor and stay away. Maybe go hang out with Selphie and her friends? Because I don't want to have to see Kairi die."

My heart dropped.

"Oh, don't worry, Sora. If you decide to stay here, Vanitas will keep you company just to make sure you don't interrupt us."

Not long after I heard that did I receive a left hook to the side of the skull that put me on the floor.

* * *

**-X-**

Just as I was getting tired of waiting, Mister Devee entered the darkened classroom, an apologetic look on his face as he said, "Damn after school meetings. So, Kairi… Are you ready?"

Sitting against the wall, I shakily replied, "Ready as I'll ever be."

He took me by the hand and stood me up. With a bright smile on his countenance, he admitted, "I had another dream about her last night."

I wished I could've been more pleased to hear about that. I told him, "And I remembered his name."

"Well…what is it?" He seemed hardly able to contain his excitement.

"…Sora."

* * *

**-X-**

I hazily approached the classroom, which was being guarded by Vanitas.

"Make a sound, and we have to kill her."

I glared at him.

* * *

**-X-**

"I was thinking we could try your idea from yesterday first—you know, talk about the places we'd go and things we used to do with them."

I was guessing that was his idea of pre-foreplay. I said, "Sora, Riku, and I used to go to our island and play."

"What else?"

I shrugged.

"Surely, there's more."

"…"

"Okay, how about I say something. Arden and I used to go hiking in the mountains. We'd camp, go fishing, observe the wildlife, and even…well, I'm guessing you know what else."

I laughed.

"Anyway, my dream about her showed me something new. She was carrying our first child before she disappeared. It hurts knowing I may have a son or daughter I don't know about, and I think you can really help me meet them."

"What do you want me to do," I asked.

"Yesterday…you were amazing. I just need more of that."

I looked to the side briefly. Then, I leaned in close to kiss him.


	8. Rape Me

**Chapter 8: Rape Me**

He kissed me back. Holding my arms, Rakson slowed it down and played with my tongue. Whatever I was feeling, I quickly labeled it as "bliss" and moved on.

I didn't know if I was satisfying him or not, so I rubbed his chest. Though he towered over me, I still pressed my body against his. I'm sure he already knew I didn't know how to handle what comes next, so I hoped my eagerness would be enough for him to guide me.

He did; picking me up, he walked me over to the teacher's desk and sat me down on it. Once there, I felt my neck become the target of his affection. I briefly wondered what his wife looked like, if she ever received him in the same way I was. My mind went back to Sora. Did he and I ever get this close? I doubted it, but I still wanted to make it a reality one day.

My thoughts were swept aside as Rakson began unbuttoning my shirt. I helped him out, starting from the top with him at the bottom. Our hands met in the middle; with a firm grip, he placed my hands above my head and started kissing my exposed belly, soon venturing south.

That feeling I had yesterday—when I wanted him—it returned in full force. Cradling his spiky head, I guided him lower and lower until it was about time for me to undress my lower half. However, any effort I was about to put into removing my skirt was halted when he touched me over my clothes. I was extremely sensitive, the familiar sensation coursing through my body.

I'd had enough of the tantalizing; forcing both garments down to my ankles, I heard a sigh of approval escape his lips. He rose up to kiss me one more time before going down.

However, once again, I felt like I didn't want this. And then once again, I told myself this is what I chose.

I felt a jolt rise up in me. Uncontrollably, I screamed once before covering my mouth. He just kept going and going. Just when I thought I had nothing left to give, he found more to take from me. At this point, I was shaking like a mental patient. He had his arms tightly wrapped around either of my legs, and this intensified the sensation.

He found time to resurface and ascend to my hips. I took my hands from his head and started undoing my bra.

**-X-**

When I heard _it_, my heart started racing. Swallowing back disgust, confusion, fury, sadness, and, above all, hatred, I dropped to my knees, pressing my hands on the cold floor. I shook from the lukewarm mixture of extreme emotions, feeling my eyes well up.

As tear drops hit the floor, Vanitas knelt beside me, whispering in my ear, "Does that sound like bullying to you?"

I didn't answer. I couldn't even look up from the tile. As more realization of what was happening in that classroom sank in, I cried silently.

Vanitas took it upon himself to deliver his version of comfort. Tousling and stroking my hair, he said, "All Princesses of Heart eventually lose their light…to people like him. Hmph, and me, for that matter. And then, there's no turning back for her, Sora. Her heart will return to darkness, and if you're lucky, yours will, too. I'm sorry you had to learn this way. I honestly wish there was some other way to show you what she's become."

"That's not Kairi," I uttered, tears washing my face before falling on the floor.

"If denial helps you get through this, then I'll allow it." Vanitas rubbed my shoulder. "Now weep, Sora."

Deep down, there's a light that never goes out. And it's the most vengeful thing in the universe.

**-X-**

And there I was, stripped of all my clothing. I'd tossed my undergarments, skirt, shirt, shoes, and socks aside, so now I sat completely exposed before an older man.

I didn't try to hide myself in fear of disappointing Rakson. He gave me that same smile I thought I liked. I smiled slightly back at him just to cover up my nerves.

He played with my hair, saying, "This 'Sora' person… He doesn't know what he's missing." He massaged me, starting with my shoulders before venturing downward. "Was he ever this close…?"

We shared another kiss. It was short-lived. Afterward, I said, "Maybe…"

He stared right through me, a look of intense yearning in his eyes. With a quick movement, he unhooked his belt and dropped his slacks, taking his underwear down with it.

I found myself in uncharted territory. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't slow down my heart-rate. As he smiled at me, I felt something scary lurking nearby.

**-X-**

"Think before you act, Sora."

Vanitas had whispered it in my ear. His grip on my arm was getting stronger, but that was due to the rising tension in my whole body. Breathing hard with turbulent growls, I told myself one thing: move. But my body was rebellious.

The masked boy feasted on my turmoil. "Just imagine how much stronger you'll be when it's all over."

I know now, without a doubt, that I want to kill everyone.

**-X-**

I couldn't contain my next scream. My very existence was being pushed inward. All my outlooks and demeanors, torn away. My breath felt cold, and my skin was raw. I leaned back far enough to lay down on the desk, but I couldn't keep still.

I lost more control the further he claimed me. I tried to focus on thoughts of Sora, but all I could think about was what was happening to me.

He claimed me a second time. I bucked against him, doing little to minimize his presence. My body was experiencing something new and, in turn, told my mind this was a positive thing, so why did my heart resist him?

This wasn't right.

I screamed yet again during his third conquest, and, this time, there wasn't a single trace of pleasure in my agonized yell. I needed him to stop.

"Rakson," I uttered in pain.

He didn't regard it; he continued doing what he came for. I tried scooting away from him, but he quickly dragged me back. I attempted to pull his arms off my midsection, but his grip was too firm.

"Rakson!" I said louder.

The continuance of our union was his only concern. Now, it felt like he was intentionally hurting me. I screamed; he covered my mouth and muffled my voice.

Looking up at him, I gasped under his hand. His yellow-eyed grimace deeply frightened me. Then, he smirked, giving me his analysis, "You need to try harder."

That fear gradually turned to hate. Every time he breached me, I slowly lost myself. Far from me was my self-respect. No longer did I love anything about myself. My image was tainted beyond recognition. As he forced his way with me, he pressed his palm against my mouth harder

For a moment, I left my body, though I continued to weep beneath his hand. I wasn't sure where I went, but my mind told me I was surrounded by white walls. There was someone from the dark, and he handed me a weapon. I thought it was just what I needed to protect a person I loved. I didn't dwell on my lack of fighting experience; I just charged forward fearlessly—

"Good. Now, turn over."

"…"

"Don't waste my time. Turn over."

I didn't manage to _completely_ return to my body, but my ears eventually heard him. And thus, my devastated body obeyed his order. As I flipped over on the desk, it just occurred to me that my cries had subsided. I was completely silent.

I stared forward at the other side of the classroom. Right before he breached me yet again, I decided to mumble something.

"What?" Rakson said, pausing his deed.

I mumbled it again.

Sounding agitated, he said, "Speak up, Kairi!"

I mumbled it yet again, this time accompanying it with a laugh.

"Dammit, girl—" he pulled my hair, "—what are you saying—?"

"I SAID RAPE ME!" I had given in to something quite frightening.

Rakson was astonished, to say the least. Quickly, he commanded, "Kairi, keep your voice down—!"

"RAPE ME!" I looked back at him. My face must have resembled…I don't know, Satan? "RAPE ME!"

Rakson's eyes darted to the door and back to me. "Shit—!"

I laughed harder and harder at him. Practically blowing my voice box, I yelled again, _"RAPE MEEE!"_

"Get dressed—we're leaving," Rakson irritably responded, definitely losing his cool.

**-X-**

When I started to hear muffled screaming, I knew the time to act was now. She had screamed his name in a way that suggested she was being forced against her will. My tears were gone. My tremors of grief were now nonexistent. No longer would I crouch there and wait.

I glared at Vanitas, seeing yellow eyes behind his glass mask.

He chuckled. "So, brother. Are you realizing—?"

I head-butted his mask, shattering the glass between our faces. He fell backward from his kneeling position, but I wasn't done with him yet. Forcing my knee in his stomach, I grabbed him around the throat and squeezed. His face was exposed through his partially broken mask, and I stared in awe at his yellow eyes and spiky black hair.

And I was so stunned from seeing a darkness-themed version of myself that I loosened my grip for just a second, allowing Vanitas to sock me in the jaw. With enough space to stand up, the unmasked boy forced his dark Keyblade against my throat, pinning me to the floor. It was in that moment that I noticed Kairi's cries of terror had subsided.

Worried and losing air, I uttered under Vanitas's strength, "Kairi…!"

"Perish," Vanitas replied ever so eloquently.

I was getting lightheaded. I needed help, anyone's help. I thought about Donald, Goofy…Jiminy, Tarzan…Yuffie, Leon…Aladdin, Hercules, Beast…Jack, Ariel, Peter…and finally Riku.

"_That all you got, Sora?" _he'd say to me.

Wrapping my legs around Vanitas's waste, I violently rocked his whole body to the floor, effectively freeing myself. I gasped for air, seeing the hallway change colors. Before Vanitas could retaliate, I locked arms with him, entering a struggle for dominance.

And as we struggled, I heard Rakson say something from the other room. He sounded frustrated. That's when I heard Kairi yell those two words. I didn't know what the hell was happening in that classroom, but it was about time I got involved.

Positioning Vanitas between the door and me, I kicked him in the gut, crashing him into the closed door. I had taken the wind right out of him, so I used the opportunity to kick him once more, this time, cracking the wooden door from its hinges. From inside the room, I could hear Kairi repeatedly yell those two words as Rakson told her to get dressed, that they would be leaving—not without me. With a final heave and cry of desperation, I plunged my foot into Vanitas's abdomen and broke the door down.

With Vanitas lying on the fallen door in pain, my eyes fell upon the naked and deranged Princess of Heart currently yelling "rape me" from the teacher's desk.

Eyes an acidic yellow color, Rakson had just finished hooking his belt together when told me, "Big mistake, boy."

Something almost dripped in my left eye. Blinking it away, I realized it was blood originating from the wound when I head-butted Vanitas's glass mask. Letting it run down my face, I summoned my Kingdom Key and bellowed back, "DIE!"

**-X-**

I didn't know what was happening when that door crashed into the classroom, revealing no one there, but all I wanted to do was turn back around and yell, "JUST RAPE ME" in Rakson's face.

Rakson pulled his pants up and said, "Big mistake, boy," to the pocket of air by the broken door. Whatever was standing there had yelled back for him to die.

As Rakson walked towards whatever he was talking to, I tried to get his attention again, shouting, "I said—RAPE MEEEEE!"

Rakson went to go punch the air; he must've missed because he spun around and continued raining punches, then receiving an invisible strike in the back.

Rakson yelled, "Vanitas! Get up and control this bastard!"

Two invisible forces must have collided in that moment, one of them taking the upper hand and throwing the other into a row desks. Whoever was left standing went back to pummeling Rakson.

I laughed again.

**-X-**

I unleashed my fury on Rakson's face, body, and limbs, striking him with my Keyblade. It was then that I noticed Vanitas groggily getting back to his feet. Breaking away from Rakson, I ran over and slashed the look-alike across the torso, sending him flying into the wall next to a window.

Sensing Rakson's approach from behind, I whirled around slashed, but he caught my Keyblade in his hand. He then hammered his other fist into my stomach, following up with a grapple that had me flailing above his head. Against my will, I was thrown through the window, shattering the glass as I plummeted from the second floor. I put a lot of effort into redirecting my fall, and just when it seemed like it would be too late, someone down below yelled, "Gather!"

Instantly, my fall was broken by a swirling magnetic field hovering above this mystery person's head. Whoever had saved me decided to dismiss the Magnet, and I was safely dropped on my feet. I looked over at my savior, noticing a blonde boy around my age; he held a Keyblade, reversed in his right hand.

Before I could thank him, I fell forward on the grass in agony. With the wind still taken out of me, my body was covered in cuts.

"So," said the boy. "Looks like I finally caught up. Heal."

Feeling the boy's Cure spell take effect, I stood up with all my wounds mended. A look of appreciation spreading across my face, I said to him, "I wish I could thank you more, but I need to go save my friend."

"I'm guessing from that guy, right?" said the boy, pointing at the window I'd fallen from. There, Rakson stood, glaring down at us.

"That's him. Wait…" I blinked my eyes at the boy. "You can see me?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Is Vanitas up there with him?"

"Sure is."

"He's my enemy. Let's go teach him a lesson."

While we ran back to the building's entrance, I uttered, "Round two…"

**-X-**

I wasn't expecting the window to break. Whoever Rakson was fighting had certainly fallen to his or her doom. And with little to no regard for my own decency, I got up and walked over to Rakson by the window, silently stroking his arm.

He glared at me with those yellow eyes, saying, "Get. Dressed."

My sanity was completely ruptured at this point. I uttered back, "Rape. Me."

Rakson ignored me. Speaking to someone else in the room, he commanded, "Vanitas—go find Sora and now Ventus. I'm taking Kairi back to my lair."

"Sora?" I repeated. "I know that name…"

Holding out his hand, he seemed to summon some kind of dark portal in the middle of the classroom. He gathered my clothes off the floor and then took my hand. However, right before we stepped through the portal, one of the invisible people halted our progress, saying in a familiar voice, "You know we have to kill her."

"And you know in order for you to take over Sora's body when he wakes, we need his connection to Kairi severed."

"What better way to do that than kill her now?"

"That way isn't going to work, Vanitas. She needs to be completely overtaken by darkness. And right now, this isn't the place to do that."

"If that's the case, then take her to her house. Her parents haven't been home all week."

Rakson gave the space beside him a frustrated look. "You tell me this _now?"_

A guilty tone coming from the invisible person's voice, he said, "I just had to be sure…"

"Fool," said Rakson, doing something to make the portal disappear. "Open a Corridor that leads to her house—now."

Suddenly, another portal appeared alongside Rakson and me, and I presumed it led to my home. Something in me snapped, and I elbowed Rakson in the ribs, causing him to let my hand go. Free from his grasp, I ran straight out the door and down the hallway.

The floor was abnormally cold on my feet, and that's when I remembered I still wasn't clothed. It didn't matter. I just wanted to be away from that swirling portal of bad news.

Something tripped me before I reached the stairs. Falling down, I heard Rakson somewhere behind me yelling, "Leave her to me! Go find Sora!"

There's that name again. I felt something grab my ankle and start dragging me back toward the classroom. Then, that familiar voice yelled back, "This is pointless! Just let me kill her already!"

Rakson then said, "Wait—the Corridor is closing! Vanitas, what the hell's happening?"

"How should I know?" The invisible person and I suddenly heard footsteps coming up the stairs. "I hear someone coming!"

Rakson then ran over picked me up off the floor. Taking me into the bathroom, he commanded, "Deal with whoever it is."

I'm in a nightmare. Drifting in and out of reality, I found myself sitting on the boys' bathroom sink as he tried to dress me in my school uniform. I wasn't that cooperative, which caused him to punch the mirror behind me. I didn't even react, let alone flinch. He had been saying things I wasn't listening to, and he quickly noticed how irresponsive I'd gotten; he started choking me.

As I coughed, he said irately, "Now, do you hear me?"

My sole response was to start crying. I felt so weak.

"Put this on!" He handed me my shirt. Apparently, he'd already dressed my lower half, save my socks and shoes. I took the shirt and just stared at it. My bra was still missing.

After sliding one of the socks up my leg, he angrily took the shirt from me, forced my arms through the rolled-up sleeves, and started crookedly buttoning it up.

After finishing up with the remaining sock, he gave me my shoes, forcing those on as well. Then, taking me around the waist, he carried me in his left arm while holding out the other, expecting something to happen.

"The Corridor won't open… Guess we're taking the long way."

Carrying me outside the bathroom, we were greeted by the sounds of medieval warfare, though I couldn't see where it was coming from. People grunted, metal would clang—lockers would dent, and even walls cracked open.

As Rakson carried me to the stairs, I noticed blood on the floor. Who's was it?

He took me to the first floor, then making for the exit. After we emerged into the outside world, he set me down on my feet, ordering, "Walk."

With his hands on my shoulders, I walked side-by-side with him, not even daring to stumble. He guided me off of school grounds, taking that dirt road through town. I remember people looking at us but saying and doing nothing…

Right as we reached the section that opened up to my neighborhood, we heard footsteps behind us. Rakson turned his head and asked, "Are they taken care of?"

That harsh but familiar voice from earlier replied, "They got tied up with a few of my Unversed. Left 'em with a big one, too."

"They'll be back," Rakson surmised. "Where is her house?"

"It's down this way."

Taking the disembodied voice's lead, Rakson and I paced in the direction of my family's dwelling. As we sped through the neighborhood, trying to look inconspicuous, the voice brought up, "That school's gonna be unrecognizable when they're done. Also…before I left, I saw blood on the floor. It was where she fell, meaning there was probably some in the classroom, too, right?"

"That's nothing to worry about. Soon, this will all be over for me."

**-X-**

The other guy had gotten injured in our fight with the monsters. Whoever Vanitas was, he possessed the power to summon them, and they were aggressive. We finished them off but at the cost of letting Vanitas escape. With the other guy's arm slung over my shoulder, we neared the top of the stairs, and I prepared to administer a Cure spell. However, he stopped me, saying, "No, Sora. I'll just slow you down."

"Well, I'm not just gonna leave you here!"

"You won't. I'll go someplace that's real close."

Puzzled, I asked, "Where?"

He smiled. "Back to your heart."

His body started glowing. Confused, I repeated, "'Back to my heart'? Wait, who are you?"

"…I'm Ventus."

Right then and there, his whole form began evaporating into light particles until all that was left was a glowing, heart-shaped container floating where he once stood.

I reached out to the heart, and it absorbed itself into my chest. I felt warm…and, yet again, quite vengeful.


	9. Minute of Delay

**Chapter 9: Minute of Delay**

And Sora…

He flew from the school straight to my house.

Apparently, that wasn't his first time flying, but then again, why should I believe that he ever once flew?

…

How about because even my friends witnessed it?

…

Really? Like who?

…

Donald and Goofy, to name two. They even knew how to do it themselves…at one point.

…

Okay. So what stopped them from learning to glide a second time?

…

It must've been their faith, or something. But I still would like to reteach them one day, if they'll let me.

Also, my gut says I should charge 'em—

…

—You should charge them a price. Not too steep, but not _dirt cheap_ either. Or do you use Gil now? OR—are you on the new wave, using Kupo Coins to get by?

…

Yes.

…

You're gonna give them free lessons, aren't you?

…

You should probably be the one to handle my finances.

…

Sure. Just as soon as one of us finishes school.

…

Hey. We're off topic.

…

Right, speaking of the school…

…

…

…

Sora left and flew towards my house.

* * *

**-X-**

I left the school, jumped, and flew straight for Kairi's house. I wasn't sure who Ventus was, but in the moment he stored his heart within mine, I suddenly remembered how to glide.

I went in the direction I thought Vanitas fled. He and Rakson weren't using Corridors of Darkness, so maybe I could catch up with them.

I arrived at the house. There weren't any mentions of who went where, just my eyes showing me Vanitas standing on the front porch.

He said, "That loser ISN'T gonna help you."

I said, "Last chance to walk away."


	10. Sunset Mortem

**Chapter 10: Sunset Mortem **

Rakson either guessed or already knew where I slept, pulling me by the arm to my upstairs bedroom.

He forced me down on the bed and reached around my throat. With those yellow eyes, he scoffed in my face, then letting me go.

Angrily, he zeroed in on my vanity mirror, picking up my photograph of Sora.

"I'm near my end."

I could hear a sword-fight right outside the house.

"I've only met up with him since yesterday."

I didn't know who was fighting who, but one of them had to be Sora.

"Do you think he's becoming real? He's not—He's not—He's not real. You think you'll find Sora? Darkness is guiding you both, and it's what you'll find if you keep believing in this child."

Sora called my name.

"He's not gonna be what you remember. Something else will dictate him, and just so we're clear, it's also what dictates my completion of this mission.

"My existence thrives on his walk to the darkness. Yours is soon to end, too, leaving behind a world unaffected.

"And about Sora? Whatever you thought you were reconstructing is not a reality. It'll be something that loosely resembles him, answering to a different name."

He put down the photograph.

"I was created after someone else was destroyed, someone who embodied Sora's memories of you. My purpose was already deeply embedded the moment I spawned: to taint you and commit suicide.

"My existence…it has no purpose after I've done what I came to do. However, even though my goal has been somewhat fulfilled, you managed to rob me of the satisfaction.

"Suicide…it's the next step for me. But now I find myself…unwilling to set you free just yet. After all, your heart still resists this borrowed darkness. And my task…it feels as though it's only halfway completed, so now I'm left with this intense desire to overachieve.

"And don't get the wrong idea; I serve no one but myself. That other boy, Vanitas? He's just along for the ride. I'm in charge."

I had my legs huddled to my chest when he sat next to me and leaned in close to my ear.

"Not you. Not Sora. Just me."

I started questioning him, "I guess not your wife either."

"Hmph. She isn't real, so no."

"…Was she ever real?"

"Who knows, Kairi? The darkness may just spawn her for the laughs."

"Why do you want to hurt me?"

He pressed two fingers to my lips. "That's enough talking for now." Having a change of heart, he removed his hand, then saying, "On second thought, there's still something I want you to say. Remember what you kept screaming back at the classroom, nearly derailing the whole plan you and I created? Go ahead. Say it."

My pulse started pounding as he cupped a hand around my mouth. He squeezed tighter the longer I stayed silent.

"Say it," he hissed. "Say what you said."

God...help me choose the right thing to do: remain silent and endure his wrath, or say those two words and let myself be raped?

He forced me down, having me lie sideways on the bed as he threw all his weight on top of me. I couldn't move my legs, nor were my arms free. I wasn't even fighting back, realizing I may be raped notwithstanding my choice to ignore.

Rakson started shaking with rage. "Say it, Kairi."

He slapped me.

"SAY IT."

He slapped me again.

"SAY IT."

He slapped me a third time, then hammering me with a fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth...

"So. You wanna be calm, now." He laughed. "That's funny—I'm pretty far from calm. When are we going to get on the same page, my love?"

His words sickened me. Trembling, I felt the hate rise up inside. My eyes were just beginning to overflow.

"Arden...she feels so real when we're this close. But what's ironic is I still want you. If my wife ever became real, I think I'd delight in her jealousy, her disgust, her hatred..." He ran his tongue on my cheek. "But then again, you have that and so much more."

He tugged at my skirt roughly. Devee didn't even take his eyes off mine.

"I've got all day, princess."

Sora's younger voice rang in my head:

"_The princess...? Kairi's a prince—?"_

I headbutted his nose. The force of his weight loosed for just a moment, allowing enough space for me to throw him off.

He landed on his back across my bed, so I got on top of him and punched nonstop with all my strength.

He seemed more annoyed than in pain. Holding a loathsome grimace, I watched his face briefly turn a different color and texture before reverting back to normal. I didn't dwell on it. Reaching for my lamp, I grabbed it and smashed it against his head, but he was unfazed.

He punched the wind from my belly. I fell to the floor. He stood over me, casually dusted himself off, and kicked me in the side.

I groaned. He laughed, saying, "Good effort, but enough wasting time. All you have to do is say those two words, and I'm finished. Not even kidding. Say it, and you'll be left alone."

He picked up the photograph again. Crumbling it up, he tossed it over his shoulder, then spotting a bottle of perfume on my dresser. He twisted off the cap.

"My wife absolutely loved different fragrances. This is...Honey-Bee Zeal? Mm...I'll have to remember this one."

He poured it on me, letting it run empty while I lay in pain.

"Hm...she also loved healthy lifestyles. Tell me, anything good in the kitchen?"

I cried.

"Can't remember? I guess we'll both have to take a look downstairs." He held out a helping hand. "Don't be lazy, Kairi."

"...Rape me."

"What was that?"

I'd given up. Eyes locked on the floor trim, I said again, "Rape me."

"I knew you'd come along."

I was picked up bridal-style and placed back on the bed.

"Let's see...I'm gonna need this."

He picked up the cord from my shattered lamp.

"And this, too."

He unplugged the cord that went into my alarm clock, pulling it free from the device. He then used both cords to tie my hands to the bedpost. I didn't fight back.

"Hm...better safe than sorry. You are a rambunctious little demon."

He ripped my bedsheets in twos, using each piece to tie my feet down. I couldn't even press my knees together.

I stared at the ceiling as he removed his jacket. I heard him laugh again.

"No worries, my love. I do intend to leave you alone. After all, I'm a man of my word."

He unbuttoned his shirt and took that off, too.

"If you should ever feel like I'm misleading you, please let me know."

He entered the bed, as well as my personal space.

"And I'll try my hardest to see you in good spirits."

His pelvis connected to mine, but not before slipping free from his pants.

"Say it...once...more."

I remembered that I betrayed Sora. For Riku. My eyes continued to overflow.

"Rape me."

"As you wish."

A loud crash resounded outside. It sounded like a body hitting pavement from a really high altitude. I didn't even notice the fighting had drifted away.

Rakson seemed perturbed by the sound. He grabbed my face and forced me to look at him.

"Pay them no attention—"

"_RAKSON!"_ That was Sora's voice from outside. It sounded dark and twisted.

Rakson sighed irritably. "Since I can't tell who said that, I'll be right back. Just lie still."

My pulse subsided as he left my room.


	11. Dark Echo

**Chapter 11: Dark Echo**

Vanitas went crashing into the street against his will, ending our skyward battle. Seconds later, I landed on my feet next to him.

I turned to the house, yelling, "RAKSON!"

Coughing, Vanitas laughed before saying, "Your awakening is my rebirth."

I headed for Kairi's house, realizing I may already be too late.

"I made him, you know!"

I stopped briefly.

"He's my experiment gone wrong. He thinks he's in control, but he's not! The truth is…neither am I. Whatever brought me back to life—it's the same force that helped me create him."

I started walking back toward Vanitas.

"He won't stop until he's fulfilled his purpose." The partially masked boy laughed. "You've got no chance of saving her. She's as good as—"

I plunged my Kingdom Key into his chest.


End file.
